In 1616 Sir Thomas Leigh obtained permission to empark 700 acres in Stoneligh & Fletchamstead. He was the second son of the first son of the first Sir Thomas of Stoneleigh. In 1640 his grandson (also called Thomas) obtained a licence to empark 800 acres. However the actual park size was reduced to 300 acres and the survey of Stareton in January 1639 records the lanes to be closed to make way for the park. These included 'Clowde lane' which crossed the former open field of Cloud leading from the Stareton Pool to Bubbenhall. You can still see the tree lined path in the 1749 & 1776 maps of the park shown further down this page. Tantara Lodge now stands at the eastern end of this extinguished road. Stareton lost the north-east quadrant of the village including the lane leading to the River Avon & the former mill site. *




The village had been shrinking before the enparkment occurred & never regained its former size. There had been twenty-four tenants in the late fourteenth century but this had fallen to only fifteen by the 1530's. The area has remained relatively undisturbed since the emparkment. *


1749 Thomas Wilkes's Map of Stoneleigh copyright Stoneleigh Abbey Ltd (SBTRO,DR 671/24) *****


1776 Matthias Baker's map of the Stoneleigh Estate (SBRTO, DR 671/30a) copyright Stoneleigh Abbey Ltd *****



Oak trees now on Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Course are some of the oldest remaining landmarks from the ancient forest of Arden dating back up to 1000 years (photo 2010)


19th century photograph of the Bridge over the River Avon in the centre of the Deer Park


The Bridge over the River Avon built when the Deer Park was formed in the18th century & now part of Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Course (photo 2010)