Park Boundaries
The usual park boundary up to the late 18th century was the park pale, a fence of cleft oak pales
supported by a framework of posts, rails and struts. The pales were pointed at the base, Illis end
being driven into the ground. The pale was then nailed or otherwise fixed to the top rail to prevent
it from being moved. The pales were alternately long and short, presumably to help reduce costs.
The long pales could be re-cut at the base and used again as short pales.
It seems to have been part of the manorial service that ".. ..men of the same manor as others of the
neighbourhood outside ought to renew and repair that paling as often as need be" (Havering Park,
1306 - 7). The customal of Hatfield Broad Oak says much the same thing - in 1328, a particular
tenant was required to "....make and keep 32 perches of pale round the park ....and shall have the
old timber of the said pale when it is not worth putting back.....".
In all, 49 tenants had to maintain 151 perches of pale and 129 perches of hedge around Hatfield
Park, a total of almost a mile. It seems, however, that by the late 14th century the service at Hatfield
was commuted to a fine and the pale was inspected and a contractor hired to undertake the actual
work. In 1444 25 perches of new fence were required and 48 perches of old fence repaired. The
pales were to be re-pointed. The cost was calculated at 4d per perch for new fence and 2d per perch
for old.
Smith records several mentions of the park pale being put into repair in Havering Park. By 1531
Havering employed a Keeper of the Pale and also a paler (palystere) to maintain the fence around
the 1300 acre park.
In 1594 accounts for the preparation of a visit by Queen Elizabeth to Havering include several
entries for paling and rails around the palace and garden:
£ s d
two hundred of cleft pale at 6 shillings die hundred 12 0
for half a load of rayles 9 0
five hundred cleft pale at 6s ye c 1 10 0
20 posts at 10d a post 16 8
In 1624 a warrant for £230 was issued for the repair of Havering Park pale. During the Civil War it
was recorded that the pale at Havering was pulled down "by divers unruly persons".
The 60-odd parks shown on Chapman and Andre (1777) are virtually all shown with a pale,
exceptions include Audley End and a handful of others (Shortgrove, Mark Hall, Moulsham Hall
and Wardens Hall, Willingale Spain). Audley End was walled and the others were possibly just
hedged or fenced, rather than paled.
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Essex Parks: Section 1 - Parks in Essex