HISTORIC secrets that have been unearthed on a Thurrock golf course have been described as 'fantastic news'.

Historic England research published today (Thursday, 15 July) confirms that remains of Tudor and Jacobean gardens have been discovered at the Grade II registered Belhus Park.

Initial research undertaken by volunteers as part of the 'Designed Landscapes' project suggested that remains of Tudor and Jacobean formal gardens lay beneath the surface of the Belhus Park Golf Course, which is part of the former Belhus Park estate that once included a manor house.

The volunteer researchers discovered, in aerial photographs and remote sensing data, features that appeared to mirror a 1619 pictorial survey of Belhus Park and a late 17th to early 18th century painting depicting a bird's eye view of the property. This evidence suggested that the layout of the former gardens had survived. The gardens were replaced in the mid-18th century with a landscape park designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown.

The 'Designed Landscapes' project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, was run in partnership by Land of the Fanns (a landscape partnership which is aimed at engaging the local communities of Havering, Barking & Dagenham, Thurrock, Brentwood and south-west Essex with the natural, geological, archaeological and built heritage of their area) and The Gardens Trust.

At the request of Land of the Fanns and with the support of Impulse Leisure which runs the golf course, Historic England carried out detailed on-site research, which confirmed significant parts of the original garden design beneath the golf course fairways.

The survival of a circular water feature to the west of the former manor house, and the patterns of paths and walls, verifies the view of the gardens shown in the late 17th to early 18th century painting.

The fieldwork carried out by Historic England's Archaeological Survey & Investigation and Geophysics teams used non-invasive methods that allowed detailed analysis of the subtle earthworks and shallow buried archaeology without the need for excavation, ensuring their preservation in situ.

Historic England will be working in partnership with Impulse Leisure, Thurrock Council, The Woodland Trust, Essex County Council, the Thames Chase Trust and other partners to ensure the conservation of this important historic setting and work towards the removal of Belhus Park from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.

Susan Yates, chair of Thurrock Historical Society and a regular feature writer on Thurrock Nub News, says: "This discovery is very exciting and is good news.

"I have lived here and walked Belhus Park for more than 65 years. in fact Belhus Mansion still stood when I moved here so to find something like this still exists is fantastic news and hopefully now Belhus Park will be taken off the 'at risk register' and treated as it deserves."

Historic England landscape artist Christopher Laine shares the excitement and said: "We already knew that Belhus Park was a special place, and a designed landscape of great historic interest.

"This research proves the survival of these rare formal gardens just underneath the surface of the golf course and improves our knowledge of how the gardens and landscape park at Belhus Park developed. It will help to inform strategies for improving management and conserving this important heritage for current and future generations."

Land of the Fanns scheme manager Benjamin Sanderson, said: "It's great to see the efforts of local volunteers recognised in this important piece of work to record and protect such a valuable piece of local heritage. The findings have been a real boost for interest in the site, with a diversity of partners now committed to planning for its future."

And Karl Hayes, managing Director of Impulse Leisure said: "Impulse Leisure are delighted to be working in partnership with such an enthusiastic group of volunteers and professionals to explore, understand and retain such a historical finding at Belhus Park."

The historic garden features lie within a part of the live golf course where there is no public access, and many of the remains cannot be seen easily from the ground. It is hoped that there will be future opportunities for community engagement, volunteering and exploring.

For more information about the historic landscape of Belhus Park, interested parties should go to the Capability Brown Clubhouse at the Belhus Park Golf Course before accessing the private site.

Belhus Park history

Belhus Park contains the remains of a mid-18th century park designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown and Richard Woods. Together, they transformed the formal Tudor gardens and the park of the much earlier Manor of Belhus.

The manor was lived in from the 14th century and passed through marriage to the Barrett family who rebuilt Belhus House towards the end of the 16th century. By the mid-17th century they had built up one of the largest estates in Essex. Following a period of neglect, the house and grounds were updated by Lord Dacre between 1744 and 1777, with Lancelot Brown commissioned to remodel the grounds between 1753 and 1763.

During the Second World War, Belhus was damaged by bombing and military occupation, leading to the house being demolished in 1957.