Background

Chobham Park first appears in the records in 1535 when Henry VIII purchased it from the Abbot of Chertsey.  Henry VIII obtained the ' manor of Chobham', that is its manor house from which we can deduce that Chobham Park was at the time the Abbot's manor house in Chobham.

Project Approach

To determine the existence of the Abbot's medieval manor house and earthworks on the site by:

1. researching the documented history
2. conducting an aerial photography survey
3. landscape study
4. resistivity analysis

Results

Documented History Research

The Manor House?

The Chertsey Cartulary tells us that at the end of the 13th century the Abbot's manor court lay in the SE of the parish adjacent to Stanners. ^{1 Vol XII 634.} Chobham Park is in the SE of the parish, and is adjacent to Stanners.

In 1421, the Cartulary has a reference to "next to the meadow of the manor of Chobham called Southemoremed" (present-day Sowmoor) ^{1 Vol XII 816}  Chobham Park lies just on the north side of Sowmoor.

From these two references we can deduce that towards the end of the thirteenth century, and maybe before, the Abbot's local manorial court was held in the vicinity of present-day Chobham Park and that by the 15th century the area was known as the manor of Chobham.  These references suggest that Chobham Park was the Abbot's principle local house from, and maybe even before, the 13th century. And that from the early 15th century, and maybe earlier, it was the Chobham Manor house.

Phil Stevens has a theory that the Abbot's manor house was, as was the custom with secular manor houses, located in the centre of the village - roughly on the site of Chobham House.  Investigations are ongoing.

A Hunting Park?

Abbots of Chertsey had importance in the land and liked to demonstrate their status. In medieval times this could be achieved by acquiring moated manor houses and hunting parks.  The abbot certainly had an enclosed hunting park in Egham.  The Chertsey Cartulary refers to 'Le Perke' in Chobham which appears to be a hunting park but associates it with John de Arderne ( of Aden?) and Richard Pentecost (manor of Pankhurst?). ^{1 Vol XII 812.}  There is no mention in the Cartulary of a hunting park at Chobham used by the Abbot or attached to Chobham Manor.  'Le Parrok' is mentioned several times but is unlikely to be a hunting park since it appears to be quite a small meadow.  However, the reference in the Cartulary to the Abbot constructing an 'earthen wall about the manor' may refer to the construction of a banked pale around his park.

Henry VIII, like monarchs of that time, was in the habit of touring during the Summer.  Scheuller reports "In a letter dated September 1514: The King went to Oatlands and there in the meads under Chertsey was killing stags holden in for the purpose, one after another all the afternoon, although they were warned by the trumpets and made known thereby if they did enter any deer of prize . . . and on Thursday the King lyted at Byfleet and from there I took my leave and from Oatlands he removes to Chobham or Woking, I know not whether the first and then to Guildford and so on to Windsor."

If Henry was in the habit of visiting Chobham, we can be reasonably confident that there was a palace or hunting park here to attract him. There is no record of a palace so it is likely that he stayed at the Abbot's manor house and park at Chobham.  

In 1535, two years before Chertsey Abbey was dissolved, Henry VIII obtained the manor house in Chobham.  "The chief messuage (house) of the manor of Chobham, called Chobham Park, was granted to the king by John Cordrey, Abbot of Chertsey" (^{2, Vol III p415} Patent Roll of Letters, 27th of Henry VIII , pt.ii, m. 28-29).  "chief messuage" was the accepted term at the time for a manor house.  If the property was, as indicated, called 'Chobham Park' when Henry purchased it then we can be reasonably certain that the Abbot did indeed have a hunting park.

Survey

Neither the aerial or the geophysical surveys throw any light on the form or location of the Abbot's house; nor on the existence of a hunting park from this era.  If present-day Chobham Park House lies on the site of the medieval house then it would be very difficult to detect the medieval house.

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