Worth Park was originally a medieval deer park and formed part of the Forest of Worth stretching from Slaugham in the South to Worth in the North.
Abraham Montefiore bought Worth-park farm in the 1810s. By 1839/40, his son Joseph Mayer Montefiore owned numerous plots of land in the area and at this point a “Worth Park House and Garden” was in existence. After a fire in 1847, Worth-Park House was rebuilt completely by 1856. The now most visible re-design of the grounds took place from 1884-1887. The company of James Pulham and Son, who also designed features for the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Sandringham House, built many elements for Worth Park which survive until today and three of these surviving ornamental features are listed structures.
The gardens were laid out over four levels to utilise the elevated position of the site. The first level was a formal garden consisting of three circular areas known as Fountain, Dutch and Sundial. The second level consisted of formal terraces with a staircase, a formal pond surrounded by ball shaped yews. The third area was open parkland and the final area a lake complete with Pulhamite rock features.
From 1920 to 1960, the house and large parts of the grounds were the home of Milton Mount College, a boarding school for girls. Crawley Borough Council bought the school property in 1963 and demolished it in favour of the 9 story block of flats that can be seen on the site today.
At the west side of Milton Mount flats, an 1880s feature of the former Worth Park mansion's landscaped gardens can be found. A rockery, provided by James Pulham and Son using their own Pulhamite artificial rock, which is nearly 50 feet long and about 5 feet tall. There is space inside for plants. The foundations are of scrap bricks!
The fountain and pond basin stand in the grounds of the former Worth Park mansion, demolished in the 1960's, and were built as garden ornaments in 1884–87. It is the largest 1880s garden ornament constructed out of moulded terracotta by the firm of James Pulham
The Pulhamite Rock Islet in the lake at Milton Mount Gardens is a 10-foot wide artificial island built in the mid 1880s as a decorative feature for the lake and also sits on a base of old bricks!
All photos by Ian Mulcahy. E-mail crawleyoldtown@gmail.com
