Glossary of Park Terms
Deer - the introduction of deer, most often fallow, but sometimes red in Essex, sometimes the gift
of the King, marked the establishment of the deer park.
Deerbank - the deerbank at Norsey Wood. Billericay, is possibly the boundary bank of a fonner
deer park phase in the wood's history; the wood is mentioned as a park in 1323
Deer cage - a cart with a wooden cage for transporting live deer. Deer were often transported long
distances - from Havering to Flanders in 123 8, from Thorndon to New Zealand in the 19th century
Deer coursing - the coursing of deer by greyhounds is mentioned up to the 18th century, possibly
a development from the Tudor ritual hunt
Deer-creep - deer are adept at getting through small gaps. A creep is a place, for example under a
deer-proof fence, where deer squeeze through
Deer hay - a fenced or hedged enclosure for deer (ie a park). In Anglo-Saxon 'derhage', mentioned
for Ongar Park
Deer-leap - a gap in a park pale with a low fence externally but with a significant drop internally,
so that deer could enter the park, but could not get out
Dispark - the act of terminating the existence of a park, usually involving the removal of the deer
and the pale and the eventual sale of the land
Doe - female fallow deer
Dolia - casks for transporting live fish
Dotardes - (also dotrells, dodderel and dry oaks) - old trees, often old pollards, fit only for
firewood (and rare beetles)
Dove-cote - (also Columbarium) - a building for keeping doves in
Empale - (also impale) - the act of fencing (lie park
Empark - (also impark) - the act of creating a park which required a licence from the Crown, a
park pale and the introduction of deer
Excactis - (also escaeta) - wood cut from a felled tree (see also lops and tops)
Fallow deer - Fallow (Dama dama), the favoured deer for the medieval deer park
Feuterer - the handler of a greyhound used for hunting or coursing
Ferarum - (feras) - collectively the King's beast or beasts, in practise applied to deer
Fodere - to dig. The King's swine in Havering Park were required to have rings in their noses to
prevent them from rooting up the park
Foreign wood - boscus forinsecus, with reference to Havering Park, a wood outside the Park (and
also Hainault Forest), but still within the manor
Fossatum - a ditch or bank (or both)
Essex Parks: Section 1 - Parks in Essex
57