About this Landscape

Both Belhus and Dagnam Parks were once private estates with well-kept gardens and beautiful grand houses. Today their landscapes have multiple uses—for example, as golf courses and public parks—but within them lie the clues to their past!

About this Resource

This resource focuses on Belhus and Dagnam Parks and as well as having some landscape info and key facts, there is also  several activities. It's aimed at Key Stage 2 and covers History, Geography and Art.

After downloading the PDF resource sheets, please follow these links to Belhus and Dagnam Parks on our website.

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Key Facts

BELHUS: The name ‘Belhus’ was used by early residents, the Barretts Family, of a manor as early at the 1300s. Over the centuries, this family bought surrounding land, rebuilt the manor into a grand Tudor house (1520s) and designed a park with the help of the famous landscaper Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown (1750-60s).

During World War 2, Belhus house was badly damaged and was eventually demolished by Essex County Council (1957), which has since turned part of the parkland into a golf course and leisure facility.

Site info: Country Park open 8:00am - 4:30pm with visitor centre, café and toilet facilities.

Contact: 01708 865628  country.parks@essex.gov.uk

Webpage: Belhus

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DAGNAM: Richard Neave (a wealthy London tradesman of the West Indies) bought the Dagnam estate in 1772 and during his ownership he commissioned a new Georgian house to be built (two others house had already existed and pulled down!) In the following centuries, Neave’s descendants bought the surrounding land and the estate expanded to 1600 acres (over 1200 football fields.)

But in 1919, after the first world war, Sir Thomas Neave 5th Baronet auctioned the land and the Neave family only kept 550 acres, including the house.

During the Second World War the family moved out to another home for safety; Dagnam house sustained heavy damage and could not be repaired; It was demolished in 1950.

Site info: Park open 8am-8pm or 30mins before dusk.

Contact: 01708 434743 don.tait17@gmail.com

Webpage: Dagnam

Land of the Fanns Teacher Briefing

Some sites have a Teacher Briefing available at the top of the page, but the following download is a general Teacher Briefing for The Land of the Fanns. We recommend you download this briefing before visiting any of the sites listed on this resource.

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Key Stages