Introduction
The estate of East Court covers some 48.6 hectares and consists of a large Georgian house with ancillary buildings, gardens, parkland, lake, playing fields and woodland. It provides civic, community, recreational and sporting facilities for the general public as well as housing the headquarters of the East Grinstead Town Council.
Terrain
Drops steeply away at the eastLocation, Area, Boundaries, Landform and Setting
East Court is situated on the eastern outskirts of East Grinstead - both lie on a sandstone outcrop approximately 125 metres above sea level. The ground at East Court drops steeply away to the east giving extensive views over the parkland, Ashplats Wood and the surrounding countryside.
Entrances and Approaches
The boundaries of the East Court estate have undergone many changes as the estate has expanded and contracted over the years. For example, the 1926 Sales Particulars show that the estate included, as well as its own grounds, Estcot's to the south, Hoskin's Farm to the north-east, together with Fairlight Farm to the east. Since 1946 the estate boundaries have remained unchanged.
The western boundary lies parallel with the Blackwell Hollow Road where a sandstone bank drops steeply down to the road. The Ordnance Survey maps for 1873 - 1936 show various changes to the number of trees running parallel to the boundary, with the majority of the trees concentrated to the south with only a few along the northern part of the boundary. Today, a continuous belt of coniferous and deciduous trees delineates the full length of this western boundary.
The southern boundary borders, for the most part, Estcot's Drive as well as Estcot's. The 1873 Ordnance Survey map shows this boundary to be a mix of woodland, parkland and fields. At the present time, there are large conifers just to the north of Estcot's with a small gap to give sight of the farm. Further to the east of these conifers there is a continuous belt of trees marking the southern boundary until it merges with Ashplats Wood.
The eastern boundary curves north-east and is demarcated by Ashplats Wood which joins on to farmland. The northern boundary follows an irregular shape and is marked by the edge of Ashplats Wood while further on it borders on to housing estates. This boundary is for the most part wooded.
The entrance to East Court forks north-east from the northern end of College Lane. An illustration of 1905 shows the entrance was flanked by mature trees and had white, wooden, decorative gates which have since disappeared. After the sale of Estcot's (in around 1926) in which the head gardener had lived, a new Georgian-style lodge was built for him to the east of the entrance.
The entrance to East Court was altered in around 1974 due to the construction of Estcots Drive leading to a new housing estate. This resulted in it being relocated a short distance to the south and east with a chicane leading the drive back to its original route. During the Great Storm of 1987, a number of mature trees were lost from this entrance area so it is now less densely wooded. The previously mentioned Jubilee Path was laid to the west of the entrance drive.
From the entrance the drive, which was once gravelled, continues north-east across the upper parkland. The 1926 Sales Particulars mention it was shaded with clumps of elms and forest trees but it is now less wooded. The 1840 tithe map and the 1873 Ordnance Survey map show the drive dividing as it approached the house, with one section leading to the western service area and the other continuing round to the main entrance on the east façade.
With the arrival of Ernest Cooper in 1906, the internal layout of the house was altered, resulting in the main entrance being relocated to the west side. The approach to the house was also more wooded than it is today. A long clipped hedge ran across the side of the south stable block and part of this hedge still exists today. There were further hedges to the north of the entrance. The entrance forecourt was flanked each side by high, clipped yew hedges and in front of the house there was a turning circle with a central circular lawn and sundial.
To date: The circular lawn and its flanking yew hedges have been removed and the whole area paved over and pedestrianised.
Between 1931 and 1936 (Ordnance Survey maps) another drive was constructed running north-west from the house through the upper parkland to the northern end of Blackwell Hollow Road. This secondary drive is lined with mature horse chestnut trees. At the north-west entrance, the Victorian boundary fencing is still in evidence and a pair of now disused five-bar metal gates (possibly the original 1930s entrance gates) lie to the east of the entrance.
Principal Building
East Court is a plain façade Georgian house built in red brick with sash windows. It is rectangular in plan, three storeys high with a shallow slate roof partially concealed behind a cornice and parapet. To the west are two stable blocks built at right-angles to the house - one to the north and the other to the south - possibly being linked previously to the house by a curved wall. (Shown in James Lambert's watercolour of around 1784.) The house and the two stable blocks form three sides of an entrance courtyard. Prior to the changeover of the entrance front this courtyard, with its various outbuildings, was used as a service area.
Ernest Cooper added a Georgian-style orangery to the north-east of the house and the 1926 Sales Particulars mention that two fine mimosa trees were growing here. There was also a stone font. Cooper also enlarged the north stable block so that it joined with the house. To the south of the southern stable block, he added more stables and garages which were built in a sympathetic style and included a cupola. As previously mentioned, in 1986 this complex was adapted to form the Meridian Hall. To the north-west of the house there were a number of outbuildings and a small glasshouse but these were all demolished, apart from one small building which is now the toilet block. At some time in the past a prefabricated north ‘wing' had been added at right-angles to the north stable block - this too has been demolished.
In 2006, the exterior of the house remains relatively unchanged since Ernest Cooper's occupancy and still retains its Georgian features. However, whereas in the past there was an abundance of wall plants/creepers growing on the house these have been much reduced in recent times.
Estcot's (farm)
To the south of the house at East Court lies this 15th century hall-house which has been modified and extended over the centuries. When John Cranston built East Court, Estcot's became the family dower house and later on the Home Farm. The name Estcot's has changed over the years from East Gate to East Court Cottage and then East Court Farm, but by 1911 the farm had reverted to its original name of Estcot's. During Ernest Cooper's residence at East Court the farmhouse was divided between the bailiff and the head gardener. When the East Court estate was sold, the farmhouse was sold separately and since then it has been divided and remains in private ownership.
Gardens and Pleasure Grounds
James Lambert's watercolour of around 1784 shows no evidence of formal gardens on the east side of the house. As in the style of the day, the parkland continued up to the house with some shrubberies, although it is known from a letter to John Cranston that the writer enquired if his wife, Catherine, had made any plans for the gardens.
The pre-1906 photographs do not show any evidence of pleasure grounds and it would appear that these were developed after 1906 when Ernest Cooper was in residence. When he switched the entrance from the east to the west side, it allowed him to develop the terraces and pleasure grounds on the east front overlooking the parkland. The 1926 Sales Particulars state that the garden contained a wealth of rhododendrons, azaleas, other flowering shrubs, heathers, and ferns. Main parkland: The main parkland at East Court lies on sloping ground to the east of the house. An illustration of around 1784 shows the parkland continuing to the east façade of the building which was, no doubt, typical of the landscape style of the time but it has not been possible to ascertain if the parkland was planted with clumps of trees to form a landscape park.
Park
Main parkland: The main parkland at East Court lies on sloping ground to the east of the house. An illustration of around 1784 shows the parkland continuing to the east façade of the building which was, no doubt, typical of the landscape style of the time but it has not been possible to ascertain if the parkland was planted with clumps of trees to form a landscape park.
On the tithe map apportionment of 1840, the parkland is marked as ‘The Lawn' (No. 2492). This term was used in the past to denote parkland that was normally grazed. The Lawn was divided by a field boundary which ran north-north-east of the lake. The Lawn's most eastern boundary was marked by a stream which ran from the small pond just to the north-east. This stream flowed south-east and then turned sharply west to flow into the main lake (curiously, the 1873 Ordnance Survey map shows the stream to have disappeared and replaced by a field boundary). The Lawn was surrounded by a network of small fields.
The Ordnance Survey maps of 1873 - 1911 show the parkland had decreased in size, the eastern edge being marked by the field boundary running north-north-east from the lake. At this time the area of the parkland was 4.1 hectares. The 1931 Ordnance Survey map indicates that the parkland boundary had been removed, but by 1936 a curved boundary had been reinstated a little further to the east.
An array of pines, mature trees and small ornamental trees as well as paddock fencing marked this field boundary. Beyond this lay a field with its eastern boundary consisting of a tall hedgerow with a mix of pines and deciduous trees. The 1899 map shows a stand of coniferous and deciduous trees north-east of the house but by 1931 these were all deciduous. This stand of trees exists today.
By 2006, the fences bounding the parkland field no longer existed and no boundary trees remain in the centre portion of the parkland, but there are still spurs of woodland to the north and south. In fact, in the northern part, there are still a few mature oak trees that appear to mark the line of the original boundary. The fields to the east have become the East Court War Memorial playing fields and the football pavilion is situated to the east of the lake together with a car park.
The Ordnance Survey maps 1873 - 1936 show a small pond in this vicinity but this has now disappeared. An access road from the car park runs south to north across the parkland to link up with the northern drive. Further to the east of the playing fields lies an area of meadow land which borders on to Ashplats Wood. To the north of the playing fields there is a large area of grassland beyond which are the grounds of East Grinstead Town Football Club.
Upper Parkland
This is the plateau area to the west, north-west and south-west of the house. The 1840 tithe map shows that the upper park had originally merged into the main eastern parkland to encircle the house without any field boundaries. On the 1873 Ordnance Survey map the upper parkland had been divided into two fields and separated from the main eastern parkland. The upper parkland was interspersed with clumps of trees. In particular there was a wide belt of deciduous trees just to the west of the house. By 1911 the field boundary dividing the upper park into two had been removed. At this time there was also a large glasshouse to the north of the house with a clump of trees to the south-west.
By 2006, the upper parkland was mainly laid to lawn interspersed with trees but there are new access roads and parking areas to cater for the various civic buildings which have been built since the 1960s. Halfway between the main entrance and the house and to the west side of the drive, there is a memorial area planted with a selection of dedicated ornamental trees while a children's playground lies to the north. To the south-west of the house there is an area of beech trees together with a large blue conifer. There is still a clump of trees to the west of the house which may be part of the tree belt shown on the 1873 Ordnance Survey map.
Parkland south of the house: This area of parkland south of the drive slopes steeply down to the belt of trees by the lake. The 1873 Ordnance Survey map shows two footpaths - one running north to south from the house to East Court Cottage (Estcot's) with the second footpath crossing the parkland from the drive of East Court Cottage north-east across the parkland. By 1936 both had been removed. There was also a field boundary south-east from East Court house to the lake but by 1926 (Sales Particulars) this had been changed into the double-hedged path. The 1873 Ordnance Survey map shows a copse of trees just north of East Court Cottage (Estcot's). Frances Wolseley in the Sussex County Magazine states some of these trees were elms.
This area of parkland is still extant although the small copse by Estcot's no longer exists.
Ashplats Wood
Ashplats Wood lies on rising ground in the eastern part of the estate and covers approximately 23.3 hectares. The centre portion is ancient woodland which means this land has been under continuous woodland cover since, at least, the year 1600 and has only been cleared for underwood or timber production. The 1840 tithe map shows the wood covered a smaller area than it does today but by the 1873 Ordnance Survey map several fields to the west had become woodland. The wood consists predominantly of oak and ash trees, with a shrub layer of hazel, holly and hawthorn which provide a valuable habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna. There are several ponds in the woodland and the numerous streams which run down this wooded valley side are all tributaries of the River Medway. In the 1926 Sales Particulars the woodland was managed for timber. A section of the northern part of the wood was sold off in 1928.
In the years after World War 2 the wood became neglected but in 1997 Mid Sussex District Council took on a lease from East Grinstead War Memorial Ltd. for its management. The Council now works in partnership with the Ashplats Wood Conservation Group which was formed by local residents to undertake many of the management and conservation tasks. There has been the re-introduction of coppicing and the woodland glades have been opened up. The higher north-east portion of Ashplats Wood is planted with sweet chestnuts which are cut for timber. Since 1983 the woodland has spread westwards to cover two meadows and, to date, these are extant. The woodland is now recognised as a Site of Nature Conservation Importance and lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Northern Wooded Area
The 1840 tithe map records a small wooded area to the north of the house abutting the northern boundary but by 1873 the Ordnance Survey map (Nos. 334 and 395) shows that only the southern portion of this area, amounting to 0.7 hectares, remained wooded. The woodland exists to this day with a rifle range occupying an area to the north.
- Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
Telephone
441342335056Website
http://eastcourtweddings.co.ukAccess contact details
This is a municipal site for general public use.
- History
18th Century
The house at East Court was built in 1769 by John Cranston, a London lawyer of Scottish descent and who had been Assistant Warden of Sackville College from 1767 to 1769. He was married to Catherine Green, whose family owned the nearby farm known as Estcot's, and it was on their farmland that East Court was constructed and the estate developed.
John Cranston died in 1781 and his only son, Edward, inherited East Court. He later became a major in the local Volunteer Force, a magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant of Sussex. The East Court estate is shown on the Christopher Greenwood map of 1825. The 1840 tithe map shows that the East Court estate covered 53.5 hectares, but increased to 74 hectares with the addition of two farms, East Gate Farm (Estcot's) and Blackwell Farm. When Edward Cranston died in 1841 his five daughters jointly inherited the estate. The 1841, 1851 and 1861 Census Returns showed Edward Cranston's widow Harriet, together with some of her family, were living at East Court throughout this time.
19th Century
In 1863 the Cranston family let East Court to the Rev. Charles Walter Payne (C.W.P.) Crawfurd and his family. They were related to the Crawfurds of nearby Saint Hill. C.W.P. Crawfurd became Chairman of East Grinstead Urban District Council and he and his family lived at East Court until 1903.
20th Century
In 1906 the Cranston trustees sold East Court to Ernest Cooper, an accountant from Limpsfield in Surrey. As the house had fallen into a state of disrepair, Cooper restored and extended the house as well as developing the grounds.
At the time of Ernest Cooper's death in 1926, the estate consisted of over 202.5 hectares which included several farms. The whole estate was bought by Frederick Woodgates, a developer, who then sold off parts of the farmland for housing. Later owners of East Court included Capt. Frederick Card and Godfrey H. J. Williams.
During World War 2 East Court was requisitioned by the Army. In September 1945 a local merchant banker and philanthropist, Alfred Wagg, through his Manor Charitable Trust, bought East Court with its 48.9 hectares for £16,700 intending it to become a permanent memorial to the people of East Grinstead who had lost their lives during World War 2. The house at East Court and its surrounding 2 hectares, was then sold to East Grinstead Urban District Council for £6,576 for use as its headquarters.
In 1946, the Manor Charitable Trust conveyed the East Court estate to an interim War Memorial Committee. In 1949, East Grinstead War Memorial Limited was set up to own and manage the estate for the enjoyment by the townspeople, a role which it still fulfils today. Fund-raising for a permanent war memorial in the grounds began in 1947 and a highly ambitious plan was drawn up by the London architect, Louis Osman. This would have cost £70,000 to implement.
In the event, only a little over £7,500 was raised and consequently in 1950 just a small Garden of Remembrance was created together with the playing fields. Some of the land to the north and north-west of the house was sold in 1960 to East Sussex County Council. An ambulance station was built on the north side while a new police station, police houses, and Magistrates' Court were constructed to the north-west.
In 1964, land to the west of the drive was sold to East Grinstead Urban District Council - there were plans to create a sports centre and a swimming pool in 1968 but these never materialised.
To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977, the Greenwich Meridian Line, which runs through East Court's grounds, was marked by a plaque set into the upper terrace just south-east of the house. An open-air theatrical podium was also built at the northern end of the garden's middle terrace.
In 1974, with the change in the structure of local government, East Grinstead Urban District Council was downgraded to become East Grinstead Town Council and its powers were transferred to the newly-formed Mid Sussex District Council based in Haywards Heath. Since only a portion of the house was needed by the new Town Council the remaining rooms were let out to various local groups, including the town's museum. This arrangement continues to this day although the museum has now moved to other premises nearby. The former Magistrates' Court is now used by the community. Mid Sussex District Council leases and maintains the playing fields and the majority of the estate (excluding the part owned by the East Grinstead Town Council) from East Grinstead War Memorial Ltd.
In 1986, at a cost of £500,000, the southern stable complex of the house was converted into the Meridian Hall for community use, the cost being borne by East Grinstead Town Council.
21st Century
The Millennium Year 2000 was marked by the placing of a beacon just to the north of the house and by the installation, on the Meridian Line, of a large block of unworked ironstone supplied by nearby Phillpots quarry, West Hoathly. In addition, terracotta markers were placed through the grounds to mark the Meridian Line.
To commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002, a path was laid to connect the southern and northern entrances via the upper parkland. Also in that year East Grinstead War Memorial Ltd., in conjunction with Mid Sussex District Council, commissioned a landscape design scheme from Parklife Ltd. which produced guidelines in the form of a master plan for the future of the East Court estate. This was done with the intention of making applications to various grant schemes, including the National Lottery Fund but, to date, this initiative has not advanced any further. The area around the house, together with the gardens, lake and parkland, was designated as a Conservation Area in around 2004.
Period
- 18th Century (1701 to 1800)
- Late 18th Century (1775 to 1799)
- Associated People
- Features & Designations
Features
- House (featured building)
- Now Town Council Headquarters
- Description: East Court is a plain facaded Georgian house built in red brick with sash windows. It is rectangular in plan, three storeys high with a shallow slate roof partially concealed behind a cornice and parapet.
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- Terrace
- Description: Three wide terraces ran parallel with the east facade of the house and were laid to lawn. They were divided by decorative brick retaining walls. The upper terrace had a path running beside the house with a large conifer, possibly a Thuja, at the southern end.Central brick steps led down from the upper terrace to the middle terrace with steps at each end. Against the retaining wall there was a wide herbaceous border with a rich array of plants - a path ran parallel to this border. The 1926 Sales Particulars mention a bowling lawn sited on this terrace. At the southern end of the middle terrace there was a mature Cedrus libani (Cedar of Lebanon) and there were also a number of small trees and clumps of daffodils in this area. At the northern end there was what would appear to be a large Cedrus atlantica `Glauca? (Blue Atlas Cedar) beyond which lay the croquet lawn with its western bank planted out. The 1931 Ordnance Survey map shows there was possibly a summer house in the north-west corner.By 2006 the upper and middle terraces are still extant, as are the brick retaining walls and steps with a much simplified flower border remaining on the middle terrace. The lower terrace no longer exists and has become part of the parkland.
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- Terrace
- Description: From the middle terrace, semi-circular brick steps led down to the lower terrace under a rose-covered rustic pergola. These steps were flanked on both sides by a rockery border (1926 Sales Particulars). This part of the lower terrace had a central crazy-paving path with a wide grass edge bordered by deep flower beds with shrubs and fastigiate conifers. There were also a number of other rustic pergolas. The path at the southern end of this terrace would appear to have linked up with the path leading to the lake. This lower terrace had a large expanse of lawn which led down to another area of shrubs and small conifers and was bounded by a clipped hedge which eventually connected with the tennis court hedge. Beyond this terrace lay the parkland.By 1937 there had been a large reduction in the amount of shrubs and herbaceous plants, while the pleasure grounds had been much simplified. The hedge which bounded the lower terrace seems to have been removed about this time. After World War 2, when East Court first became a public park, the gardens were regenerated. In 1987, during the Great Storm, the large Cedar of Lebanon on the middle terrace was blown down and it was replaced with another in 1988 by the East Grinstead Rotary Club.By 2006 the upper and middle terraces are still extant, as are the brick retaining walls and steps with a much simplified flower border remaining on the middle terrace. The lower terrace no longer exists and has become part of the parkland.
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- Rose Garden
- Description: The rose garden was situated on the south side of the house and it appears to have been constructed after 1906. Prior to this, the area was laid to grass and shrubs and at one time there was a clear view from the entrance drive through to the main parkland to the east.The rose garden, enclosed by high clipped hedges, was of a formal and geometric design with parterres and grass paths. By 1953 the paths had become crazy-paved with a sundial in the centre.At some time a new entrance was made in the eastern hedge and the large wrought-iron gates from the King George playing fields in East Grinstead were repositioned here. At some point the rose garden was removed. With theconversion of the south stable block into the Meridian Hall, the area was completely paved over and made into a courtyard.By 2006 the gates and eastern hedge still remain with a magnolia growing against the south-west corner of the house. A small statue of a woman and child, which could once have been a garden feature, stands beneath the magnolia with a sundial nearby.
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- Rockery
- Description: The rockery was situated south of the rose garden and in the 1950s was planted out with what would appear to be forget-me-nots and red tulips together with ornamental conifers.By 2006, some remnants of the rockery remain including the rocks lining the path which runs east to west from the upper terrace to the upper parkland. Some of the rhododendrons to the south of this path are possibly the originals.
- Planting
- Description: Garden to the south of the rockery: An area of about 0.2 hectares south of the house is marked on the 1931 and 1936 Ordnance Survey maps and would appear to have been incorporated into part of the pleasure grounds. A 1950s film shows this to be an attractive area with various shrubs. Today it is a mix of lawn, small trees and shrubs with a modern sculpture entitled `Opening? bearing the names of four people from Hoathly Hill, West Hoathly. There are also a number of trees, planted by the local branch of the United Nations. It is in this area that the War Memorial Garden of Remembrance is situated.
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- War Memorial
- Description: The Garden of Remembrance was constructed in 1950 to commemorate the 68 service personnel and the 48 civilians from East Grinstead who lost their lives in World War 2.The Garden consists of a semi-circular, raised brick terrace edged with rose beds and has views across the parkland with a clipped yew hedge behind it to the west. The War Memorial tablet is situated at the rear of the terrace. At the present time, the Garden of Remembrance appears to be relatively unchanged.
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- Tennis Lawn
- Description: The 1926 Sales Particulars mention two grass tennis courts surrounded by high yew hedges with rambling roses. These courts were situated north of the croquet lawn. There was a small summer house on the south side while in the south-west area beyond the courts there was a clump of small ornamental trees.By 2006, the grass tennis courts remain but are now of the all-weather type. The yew hedges are extant but the summer house and ornamental trees have disappeared. There is now a modern `summer house? to the west, overlooking the courts, while a brick path leads from the south-west corner back to the house.
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- Tree Feature
- Description: Area north of the house: The Ordnance Survey maps of 1873 - 1936 show this area immediately north of the house to be wooded, with a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees.By 2006 some of these trees have disappeared and the area nearest to the house is laid to lawn with a wide brick path running east to west leading to the terraces. In this area is the ironstone boulder, previously mentioned, and beacon. There are still a number of mature trees to the north of the lawn, while to the west there is a car park.
- Path
- Description: On the south-east corner of the terraces there is a grass path, with yew hedges on either side, which slopes south-east down towards the lake. These hedges were in existence in 1926 (Sales Particulars). There was a central crazy-paving path between the two hedges which led down, over an ornamental sandstone bridge (demolished in the 1990s), to a flight of steps, beyond which lay the lake.By 2006, the grass path and hedges are still extant but the crazy-paving path has been removed. Over the years some gaps have appeared in the hedges and the steps down to the lake are now inaccessible.
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- Water Feature
- Description: The water gardens are mentioned in the 1926 Sales Particulars which describe them as `lying most charmingly in the dip, fed by a stream and surrounded by overhanging timber trees, flower borders and shrubberies?. These gardens no longer exist and it has not been possible to determine their exact site.
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- Lake
- Description: This is situated south-east of the house and covers approximately 0.3 hectares. The 1840 tithe map shows it to be of an irregular shape with an island in the north-east portion. From the 1873 Ordnance Survey map one can see that the island had disappeared and the north-east portion had become separated from the main lake resulting in the formation of a second pond. The lake and pond were surrounded by a ring of deciduous and coniferous trees.The lake had water lilies and on each of its western and eastern edges stood rustic, heather-thatched boathouses. There was also a path around the lake?s perimeter. By the 1930s the smaller pond had become a swimming pool and was joined to the main lake by a small causeway. Another heather-roofed rustic boathouse/summer house stood on the western side of the swimming pool with some new planting on the bank behind. Some rose arches were positioned near the causeway.When East Grinstead War Memorial Ltd. took over the estate, the charity TocH converted the swimming pool into a model boating lake. In recent years several family pet gravestones have been found by the lake and one of these is now stored in the East Grinstead town museum.By 2006, the lake was in a neglected state. Its banks are heavily overgrown, but it is still surrounded by pines and deciduous trees. The perimeter path and the boathouses have disappeared. The model boating pond was later used as a paddling pool but it has since been drained and is now a skateboard area.
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- Orchard
- Description: The orchard was situated to the east of the lake and covered approximately 0.4 hectares. It is marked on the 1840 tithe map and was still in existence on the 1936 Ordnance Survey map. However, by 2006 the fruit trees have disappeared and the orchard has become a wooded area.
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- Kitchen Garden
- Description: When John Cranston was in residence the kitchen garden for East Court was situated to the south of Estcot?s in what was once the farmyard. The 1926 Sales Particulars mention it had a `wall of standard fruit trees and a small greenhouse?. After the sale of Estcot?s in around 1926 to private owners, a new vegetable garden was established north-west of East Court house which covered an area of approximately 0.4 hectares (1931 Ordnance Survey map). The current police station has been built on this site. There were also two cottages just to the north of this area which have since been demolished.
- Sundial
- Stable Block
- Description: To the west are two stable blocks built at right-angles to the house.
- Pond
- Description: Small pond just to the north-east
- Parkland
- Gardens
- Building
- Woodland
- Key Information
Type
Park
Purpose
Recreational/sport
Principal Building
Civil
Period
18th Century (1701 to 1800)
Survival
Extant
Hectares
48.6
Open to the public
Yes
Civil Parish
East Grinstead
- References
References
- Gould, David {Around East Grinstead} (Stroud: Sutton, 1997) Around East Grinstead
- Hatswell, Dorothy {East Grinstead : a history and celebration of the town} (Salisbury, Frith Book Co, 2004) East Grinstead : a history and celebration of the town
- Wills, W.H. {The History of East Grinstead} (East Grinstead: Farncombe & Co. Ltd, 1906) The History of East Grinstead