Chronology of the Park's history |
| North Stoneham Park was probably part of a Saxon ecclesiastical estate from the 7th century; later belonged to Hyde Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries. |
| 1334 | A deer park is first mentioned when an oyer and terminer is issued against certain miscreants who broke into the abbot's park at North Stoneham and stole his deer. |
| 1545 | Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, acquired the estate. |
| 1599 | Wriothesley sold the estate to Sir Thomas Fleming. |
| 1680s | Work on the gardens recorded. |
| c.1736 | Construction of the ionic Belvedere, a summer house and banqueting hall. The 1736 Enclosure Map for part of North Stoneham Common depicts the west boundary of the deer park. |
| 1759 | The first map to depict the full extent of the park is Taylor's map of 1759. |
| 1770s | Lancelot 'Capability' Brown enlisted by John Fleming (ob.1802) to survey and prepare a scheme. The work implemented, with final payment made in 1778. Brown probably created a more informal parkland landscape, reducing the avenues to clumps and lines of trees, enlarging the ponds, and establishing serpentine approach drives. The Deer Park and Avenue Park were strikingly contrasted with an area of higher Rough Park. |
| 1818 | The first detailed survey of the Park, made by John Whitcher. |
| 1818-44 | John Willis Fleming (ob.1844) demolished the old manor house and built a new mansion in the centre of the park, designed in the Greek Revival style by the leading architect Thomas Hopper (1776-1856). A plan of 1818 shows the layout of the park and gardens. Hopper also designed a conservatory and the Temple lodge, remodelled the southwest entrance lodge, the Belvedere, as a classical gateway, and altered the church. A larger upper lake was constructed, and the slopes between the lake and new house terraced in a formal Italianate style. |
| 1844 | John Willis Fleming died, leaving the mansion unfinished and his family and estate in severe financial difficulties. The estate was some 15,000 acres in extent, one of the largest in Hampshire. |
| 1854 | The Willis Fleming family finally moved out of the mansion, later making nearby Chilworth Manor their primary home. |
| 1871 | North Stoneham House used as residential flats. The park continued to be used for sporting events, but the deer herd was removed by this time. |
| 1908 | Part of the Deer Park and Rough Park turned into a golf course. |
| 1910-19 | The house and gardens used as a country sports club, and then as a military hospital. The park used for events and racing. |
| 1914 | Swaythling Remount Depot constructed within the Deer Park. |
| 1917 | War Shrine constructed on a high point north of Avenue Pond by John E A Willis Fleming in memory of his second son, and other men of the parish who died in the Great War. |
| 1920-39 | The house again used as residential flats. The park used for events, including the Royal Show in 1932. |
| 1939 | North Stoneham House demolished. |
| 1953 | The estate sold by the Willis Fleming family and divided into multiple ownership. |
| 1983 | Completion of M27 motorway through western edge of parkland. |
| 1991 | Completion of M3 motorway through southern edge of parkland. |
| 1992-3 | Historic landscape reports commissioned by Hampshire County Council (HCC). The archeologist C K Currie said of his findings, "It is unfortunate that these discoveries should be made only after much of the landscape has already been destroyed, or seriously damaged". Management and planning framework prepared. |
| 1996 | HCC acquired part of Avenue Park. |
| 2000-1 | Restoration Project Stage One, 2000-1: Avenue Park. |
| 2005 | The Willis Fleming Historical Trust formed; North Stoneham research project. |
| 2006- | Development of stage two project: Restoration of Stoneham War Shrine. |
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