Hylands Park - A Brief History
called Hooks, now within the boundary of the park, was also one of the properties that vanished.
Atlwood's zealous pursuit of privacy subsequently led to the closure of all the public roads across
the park, including what had been the main Writtle to Ingatestone road and also the construction of
a boundary wall along the eastern edge of the estate, separating the park from the London Road.
The late 19th century saw the demolition of the walled garden north of the house and the construction
of three gate lodges. The kitchen garden, then of 8 acres (3.3 ha.), contained 16 houses devoted to
fruit growing, including one for French beans and two for strawberries. An orchard was created
west of the house. Arthur Pryor- owner of Hylands at this time - was a notable huntsman, shooting
and riding to hounds over his considerable park and estate. A keen fisherman, he is also said to
have attempted to introduce trout to Hylands Park.
The area of land covered by Hylands Park has varied enormously over time, dependent usually
upon the financial situation of the owner. Much of the land sold was from the north part of the park,
eventually being cultivated and then bought back by Chelmsford Borough Council.
The following table lists the acreage of the park at various dates:
DATE ACRES HECTARES OWNER
1777 100 acres 40 ha. John Comyns
1814 213 acres 86 ha. Cornelius Kortright
1839 300 acres 212 ha. Pierre Caesar Labouchere
1854 590 acres 239 ha. John Attwood
1920 480 acres 194 ha. Sir Daniel Fulthorpe Gooch
1962 433 acres 175 ha. Christine Hanbury
2003 577 acres 234 ha. Chelmsford Borough Council
Christine Hanbury, the last private owner of Hylands, enlarged the formal gardens and had the ha-
ha south of the house built.
Chelmsford Borough Council have undertaken a phased restoration of the house (phase IV completed
in 2003). There are also proposals to 'restore' tlie Repton landscape, for which Lottery funding has
been granted.
References
Anon (2002) Discoveries at Hylands House, Essex Past & Present. November 2002 p. 15.
Foreman,S. (1999) Hylands - the story of an Essex Country House and its owners. Ian Henry
Publications (2nd Edition)
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Essex Parks: Section 2 - Hylands Park