William Stukeley’s drawing
William Stukeley’s drawing ‘A View of Aserby (Aswarby) July 1730’ (image held in the collection of the Bodleian Library)
Here is a designed view north in Aswarby Park towards a garden arcade at the head of a canal. At this time a medicinal spring in the park drew ‘vast crowds’. This may have been a bath -house a feature of important early 18C gardens. It leads the eye towards two eye-catchers: the church steeples of St Denys, Silk Willoughby and St Denys, Sleaford. Notice the ‘park pale’ (fence) edging plantations left and right, and the boundary belt plantation behind the arcade.
Now look back at the 1906 0S Ordnance Survey. Which feature has gone?
1906 0S Ordnance Survey
Detail of 1906 Ordnance Survey map, available on line at the Nation Library of Scotland site (maps.nls.uk)