Taken from a newsclip from the Rushden Echo & Argus, c1930 (poss April)

What a Farmer at Higham Park Gained — and Lost.
Relief For Horse-Keeper: Rates Levied To Pay!
A Moat-Defended Area.

Below we give again a short section of the chapter on "How Rushden Parish Almost Gained Territory," in order that the succeeding- portions may be the better appreciated. An interesting story is given by Dr. C. R. Fisher, the writer, on how Higham Park nearly came to be attached to Rushden as extra parish area.

In the early part of the last century nearly a square mile of land, that lays about a couple of miles to the S.E. of Rushden Church, together with its farm property, very nearly became part and parcel of Rushden Parish.

This territory was not really a full fledged parish, for there never was a church there, as Saxon and Norman law called for, when it decreed that the thane, or baron, to whom the land was granted, should build and endow a church in each parish of his domain. In that way did the landlord become "lord of the manor," with the right of "the gift of the living." Yet it was not a part of any one of the adjacent parishes.

This territory is known as Higham Park, the high home park of the Saxons. As it does not seem to have had any parochial connection with Higham Ferrers, both names seem to have been derived from the same source independently, for both locations are high land, and there is a valley between the two.

As no one was allowed to be outside Church influence in Saxon and Norman days, Higham Park was attached to Rushden ''extra parochially," for eccle­siastical purposes.

But why "park"? It was a royal deer park from the earliest recorded times and seems to have been a park long before the date of that 12th century record.

Just after the middle of the 12th century the whole six hundred acres were put in more defensive order. The embankment ditch, and stockade, were strengthened, if not actually made then; whilst some three acres of land on the Rushden side were moated, with buildings made capable for defence placed within. In size and in general arrangement, it could not have been very unlike Higham Ferrers Castle.

Then, again, what was this park really used for? It was too small to be a hunting ground, besides there was the great Rockingham Forest just beyond the Nene, over to the north, for the royal hunt. In reality it was a park farm, established as a royal preserve for fattening deer to be venison for the royal table, mainly for winter use. In those days there was no fresh beef, mutton, or pork, obtainable from the farms in winter time; all was killed off and salted down in the Autumn, the farmer keeping enough in stock to serve for next season's breeding purposes. Because of this the average parishioner had to depend upon salted flesh throughout the winter season, if he did not poach venison, or pigeons, at the peril of life and limb. The mighty of the land could obtain fresh venison from some parked preserve, and pigeons from the dovecote. A few of these one-time numerous sturdy pigeon-house stone-built structures still remain, here and there, from mediaeval times. In nay boyhood days there was such a one in Rushden, and there is a ruined one at Higham. Ferrers, which is said to have belonged to the Castle.

Within the moat-defended area of Higham Park lived the Warden, the park ranger, the Hedge and Hay Warden (later modified to Hayward, as a sur­name) the Verderer, and some general utility servants. All these, in times of need joined in the defence of the Park, then if pressed beyond their strength, they withdrew to within the moated area, to continue a final defence. Thus they defended Higham Park to "the last ditch." Or would it be to the last tower?

All this digression from our main theme has been to touch on some phase relative to past Rushden life, to bring some things that have transpired near unto before today's mental vision; events that intimately affected the lives of the inhabitants of its vicinity. Now for the why and wherefore of this nearby, added territory:—

By the early 19th century the buildings within the moated area had disap­peared, probably after the usual fashion, when not wanted.  Whether monastic or defensive, these derelict buildings were turned into stone quarries, for was it not better to obtain the stone dressed, than have to hew for it? Doubtless some went to the building of the farm, just outside the moated area. The farmer of that farm, which was the only residence on Higham Park estate, early in the 19th century, had his horse-keeper "living in" with him then; that is, he lived on the premises. This horse-keeper fell sick, and the farmer, hoping to get something for nothing, sent him to Rushden for poor relief. He got the relief asked for all right, but more besides, for Rushden parish saddled Higham Park with its quota of Rushden's rates, an intimate parochial, rather than extra parochial idea that the farmer had not bargained for. This rating-continued on until the time when a federation of parishes brought Higham Park into the Wellingborough poor law union for rating purposes.

Thus far has Higham Park been traced in more or less intimate relationship with Rushden parish, and shewn to have been all but part and parcel of it. As a parish for animals, rather than for people, it existed, for many centuries, one of a type of which very few were created, and Higham Park was "within the Liberty of Rushden."

All is doubt as it concerns the beginnings of this parcelled off land for deer raising, but, as its name intimates, it must have been in existence in Saxon times, if in more primitive state.

Definite history dawns upon this high home park when a Charter of Henry, II, issued in 1160, caused it to be royally emparked for certain. At that time, a bank was thrown up all around it, with the resultant fosse, or ditch, on the outside, whilst the top of the bank was stockaded. At this time, also, the three acres of land Rushdenward was fortified by a moat, and by defensive buildings.      Here the several wardens and their dependents lived these park attendants, by duty, warded off harm from the king's deer, and saw to it that they were fattened for his royal table.

In the 13th and 14th centuries the dukes of Lancaster had oversight of the park, for which they received certain emoluments.

Coles gives it .as documentary evidence that "this park always did suit and service to the Duke of Lancaster, by royal command; and as an acknowledgement gave, amongst other things, a certain number of deer every year, for his household, which was accepted through the medium of a grand procession."

The house must have been not very far off from the park. In due season it will be shewn that all available evidence points to its having been on the site of the present Rushden Hall.

Bridges states that "in 1327 the yearly profits of the pasturage were iv£, [£6] and the underwood cut down, every year xxs. [20shillings]" It is not very certain what Bridges intended to imply by that statement; as money values were far greater in those days, it seems likely that it was a valuation of Higham Park's yearly, possibilities, converted into money. At a first glance it might seem that the park had been abandoned as a royal demesne, even at that early date, were not a much later record to hand, to refute that idea. Here Bridges is again quoted:—

"In the twenty-second of James I. (1624) a proclamation was issued for apprehending Edward Ekins, of Stanwick, who with other persons had com­mitted certain outrages in the King's park, of Higham, by killing and carrying away the deer, and beating and wounding the keepers." There is no record of the result of this order.

Kelly states that Charles II used Higham Park premises as a hunting box. This must have been about the time of the Great Fire of London, in 1666, but nothing is said as to where or what he hunted.

All royal association seems to have ended in the 18th century. The building of the principle defences, in the 12th century, must have taken place at about the same time as the building of St. James' Hospital and Chapel, on the other side of Rushden. The ecclesiastical buildings have wholly disappeared, name and all the secular buildings have also vanished, though here and there the bank and fosse, as well as parts of the moat, are easily traceable, and the rating and name still survives.