Reference
X732/17
Title
'A plan of Harlington Wood End in Bedfordshire' [see PU341/88]
Date free text
no date, ?mid C18
Production date
From: 1730 To: 1770
Scope and Content
Subtitled, within box towards bottom of plan 'The Measure of the Pasture Land at Harlington Wood End And all the Places Adjacent in this Plan [258 acres 2 roods 21 perches]'
Surveyed by William Willmor
Parchment, c.90 x 70 cms.
Scale: 40 chains = 1". Compass
With the redlined borders and some colour (roads in yellow and some areas in green).
Depicts parts of the parishes of Harlington, Tingrith and Westoning as shown, approximately (excluding pieces labelled as 'Harlington Meadow', parts of 'Tingrith Meadow' and lands at Westoning (including the tithe-barn')), on the following copy Ordnance Survey map but centred on Harlington Woodend
Although the plan purports to be to scale the surveyor was only concerned with the land (be it individual fields or the large central block of land at Woodend) which formed part of the estate and, as a result scale has not been employed to show the topographical position of one plot with another or in relation to the neighbouring roads or other features. Despite the presence of a compass, the depiction of fields lying outside the central block of land is wayward relative to the compass point and other features on the plan. As with the roads and watercourses it would seem that the surveyor has seen fit to distort features in order to fit them all on the same piece of parchment. Thus certain parcels, although possibly to scale in themselves, in terms of location and facing direction as depicted, do not necessarily bear much relation to other areas or features shown.
It includes:
- 'A view of the Mansion House' (non perspective), depicted as an asymmetrical E-plan house of ?7 bays (2 storeyed but with dormers) with projecting porch and 3 storeyed wings of ?2 bays at the angles. The third bay, from the left, consists of 3 storeys and is bowed. The fifth bay is fronted by a 2 storey porch (with ogee-headed doorway and, at first floor level, an ogee-headed window surmounted by a clock surmounted, in turn, by a cupola and weathervane). Two dormers and a chimney are shown on the roofs. In front of the house is a walled garden with railings and a gateway leading directly to the porch (and on the plan its adjoining walled and railed enclosures are shown). According to the Victoria County History (Volume III p.379), the '… house was burnt down many years ago, and a farm-house in which a portion of the old building was incorporated, has since been erected on the site'. The evidence of the plan must go some way to refuting the last statement.
- a tabled schedule (on the Right Hand Side), giving field names and areas, of Hoad Field Farm at Harlington
- the following features: clumps and lines of trees (and ?coppices), gates, watercourses, ponds, and buildings (depicted as clumps or groups of small red dots)
- for each field depicted (including many of those referred to in the previous X732 deeds): name and area (written within)
Level of description
item