Exotic Intruders
Deer parks
Deer parks
Deer parks were set up in England in medieval times to protect the hunting interests of the nobility. As farming lands increased in area, parts of the forest were enclosed so that the peasantry could not get at the deer. For many years one had to have the King's Permission before one could build oneself a park to keep his Royal Animal, but after the Restoration this was not necessary.
The parks were originally places to hunt deer, but they evolved into sanctuaries where deer were kept for herd improvement by controlled breeding, and as decorative adjuncts to castles and manor houses.
The park in the photograph is Home Park, at Hampton Court Palace.