In the early 15th century, Henry V built the “Pleasance in the Marsh”, a secluded banqueting lodge hidden away here on the edge of the mere. Reachable by boat, the four acre site comprised a rectangular moated earthwork topped by timber buildings, stone towers at their corners, surrounding a courtyard garden. Sadly, it was demolished on the orders of Henry VIII in 1524, although reports suggest it was partially reconstructed within the castle itself for a short period.
The land around the mere had been used as a royal hunting park since the 14th Century but, around 1565 Robert Dudley expanded this by 800 acres to create a vast walled hunting forest or ” chase”.
Take the gate to your right and continue on footpath to Purlieu Lane. Continue until Castle comes into view.
These trails follow the same route as the leaflets but provide more detailed and deeper information at each point of interest (and we will keep adding more as we go!).
Please note – these trails are developed and optimised for a mobile experience so may not work effectively on bigger screen sizes.
Important – Using these trails and clicking their links will require mobile data (no more than accessing web pages), please ensure you are aware of your data limits and costs before using them.
Each point contains everything you need to locate it, as well as links to mapping services for its location.
At each point you will find further information pages and links to help interpret where you are and what you are looking at.
If you spot a mistake or encounter a problem please let us know by providing your feedback on the dedicated form linked below.
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