Ravensdale Hunting Lodge

In the civil parish of Ravensdale Park.
In the historic county of Derbyshire (Modern Authority of Derbyshire, 1974 county of Derbyshire).

The remains of Ravensdale deer park, including the associated lodge, mill and fishpond. The fishpond and mill were first documented in 1230, while the first reference to the park is dated 1297-8. The perimeter of the park is defined by a pale, originally comprising a substantial earthen bank topped by a fence or hedge and flanked by an internal ditch. Roughly 88% of the boundary bank survives to a height of 0.5m or more, while the ditch survives as a buried feature. The deer course appears on aerial photographs as a sinuous feature running from just east of Parkhill Farmhouse to about 250m east of Hill Top Farm. The course would originally have been hedged or walled on both sides along its length but is currently defined by broken stretches of field boundary. Deer coursing probably developed in C12 or C13 and involved deer, usually one or two, being chased by greyhounds along a track to a finishing post. The site of the medieval hunting lodge lies roughly 150m north east of Schoolhouse Farm. It is situated so as to provide a good view of the end of the deer course. Documentary records suggest a C14 date for the lodge and aerial photographs indicate that it was surrounded by a D-shaped enclosure, possibly a moat. East, south and west of Schoolhouse Farm lie the remains of a mill, mill dam and fishpond or lake.

This site has been described as a;
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK274431

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 310614