Golf & Country Club
The Mansion – With a unique history
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oor Park Mansion is a Grade I listed Palladian mansion set within over 300 hundred acres in Hertfordshire.
The name Moor Park originates from the old park of the Manor of More*, which is where the mansion and golf courses now sit. The original house was built in 1678 for James, Duke of Monmouth. In 1732, Benjamin Hoskins Styles, who had made a fortune in The South Sea Company, purchased it and the current appearance of the mansion, including the magnificent paintings within the Main Hall, Thornhill Room and Grand Staircase can be traced to his time at the mansion.
Set amidst 300 acres of mature woodland and finest Hertfordshire parkland, Moor Park features two championship golf courses, the High and the West
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esigned by Harry Colt in 1923 to blend into the grounds of the estate, the courses combine challenging golf holes with classic beauty.
The High Course plays host annually to the Hertfordshire Stag, as well as regularly welcoming such events as the County Championships, the English Seniors Open and the Carris Trophy. The English Boys’ Strokeplay Championship known as the Carris Trophy, attracts Europe’s best youngsters and is held at Moor Park every fourth year. Moor Park has also hosted the Bob Hope Classic, the Spalding Silver King, Uniroyal, The Four Stars Pro-Celebrity, Woolmark Ladies European Match Play Championship and the Ladies British Open. Famous players who played at Moor Park include Roberto de Vicenzo, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Bernard Langer and Justin Rose to name but a few.
The West course, although shorter in length than the High, demands a more exacting approach from the golfer to reach the tricky greens in regulation. The 17th century mansion house of Moor Park, is perhaps one of the most photographed clubhouses in golf. The history of the Mansion and the estate provides a historic and spectacular setting to play golf amongst the many 500 year old Oak Trees which were there during the reign of Henry V111. On top of that there is the unique opportunity to partake in the Moor Park ‘experience’. This includes a tour of the 17th Century Mansion including its connection with Henry V111, the Arnhem Room where Operation Market Garden was planned – and 18th Century paintings by Sir James Thornhill.
Manor of the More, Moor Park
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he More (also known as the Manor of the More) was a sixteenth-century palace owned by Henry V111 situated within Moor Park, where Catherine of Aragon lived after the annulment of her marriage to the King. It was previously owned by Cardinal Wolsey, and was located at the north east corner of the later Moor Park estate on the edge of the River Colne flood plain. The Treaty of the More was was concluded at the palace on 30 August 1525 between Henry VIII of England and the interim French government of Louise of Savoy. In 1527, the French ambassador, Jean du Bellay thought the house more splendid than Hampton Court. Nothing now remains above ground. The site is a scheduled ancient monument. The site was inhabited in the 12th century, or earlier. The house came to Wolsey as a possession of the Abbey of St Albans in 1515, and passed to Henry VIII in 1531. By the mid-16th century, there was a timber-framed long gallery 15 feet broad and 253 feet in length. Most of the house was made of brick.
1460 The Manor of the More and the Park reverted to St Albans Abbey 1469 George Nevil Archbishop of York leased the Manor of the More 1472 George Nevil arrested and the Manor of the More seized by Edward IV
Catherine of Aragon came to live at The More in the winter of 1531/32. The house was redecorated by the painter John Hethe with the Queen’s badges (the ciphers of Anne Boleyn) in 1534, and in 1541 Hethe painted the king’s bedchamber with blue bice and fine colours. Stained glass was installed by Galyon Hone. Provision was made in 1542 for the king’s archery, and two deer-barns were built. There were even two grandstands to watch the hunting. It seems that the building was abandoned after 1556 and may have had nadequate foundations. It was demolished in 1661.
1525 30th August - The Treaty of the More (a peace treaty between England and France) was signed at the Manor of the More by Henry V111 1529 1 0th - 29th September - King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon stayed at the Manor of the More, as guests of Cardinal Wolsey
1541 Henry VIII and Queen Catherine Howard stayed at the Manor of the More for three weeks
Play golf on the same park Henry V111 hunted for deer
Site of Manor of the More and Moor Park
Moor Park Mansion and Clubhouse
Enjoy the Oak Trees that date from before the Kings reign- two of the Oaks situated on the 16th tee High Course
Visit the Arnhem Room Operation Market Garden
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uring the last war, the Armed Forces were based in the Mansion House and it was in what is now known as the Arnhem Room, that the infamous Battle of Arnhem was planned. The battle was depicted in the film “A Bridge Too Far” and, as the Parachute Regiment was very much involved in the action, the room is home to memorabilia from many of the actions that have involved this famous regiment. During World War II the mansion was requisitioned, becoming the Headquarters of the 1st Airborne Corps who planned Operation Market Garden—the abortive ‘Bridge Too Far’ mission—at Moor Park. The Operation was planned in a first floor room, now named ‘the Arnhem Room’ for the mission. Moor Park Golf Club now has its clubhouse in the building, and since buying the freehold of the Mansion, has completely restored and refurbished the building and paintings.
The planners at Moor Park were given three weeks to come up with a way to send 11,000 parachute troops into the Dutch town, and this signalled a major transformation at the mansion. In charge of what was known as Operation Market Garden was Lieutenant General FAM Browning and Major General RE Urquhart, who became one of the heroes of the campaign. The pair would use a room on the first floor of the mansion, now known as the Arnhem Room, where they planned the forthcoming invasion, laying out maps and air photographs and using a sand table model of the town. In the weeks before the attack, planners used the table, which was complete with buildings, the river, bridge and possible landing grounds, to configure every aspect of the attack. However, the weight of the table caused the floor to sag. There was fear of permanent damage to the paintings in the Thornhill room below, and its famous ceiling of Aurora and the Dawn by Antonio Verrio. But the sand was reduced and the art was saved. General Urquhart and his team had planned several possible operations to different places, only to see them cancelled, during August and early September 1944. However, on Sunday, September 10, the general announced a new plan was in place and the Airborne division would fly to Arnhem.
Visit the Arnhem Room
Moor Park Mansion commemorated Battle of Arnhem
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oor Park commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem by holding a lunch and presentation at the historic building on September 28, 2014. It was 70 years since Moor Park Mansion became the centre of the British War efforts, as the 1st Airborne Division set about planning the daring operation known as ‘Market Garden.’ Their plan was to drop 35,000 Allied troops behind German lines, including landing 11,900 troops in Holland by parachute and gliders to seize the Arnhem bridge across the northern part of the river Rhine.
At Arnhem Bridge a nine day battle was courageously fought and lost. Of the 9,000 members of the 1st Airborne Division sent on ‘Market Garden’, under 2,000 returned home. Real life recollections of the battle was given by some of the survivors as Moor Park was due to location of the Battle of Arnhem. The day started at 11.15am with a parade and refreshments in Moor Park Mansion Hall and that was followed by an illustrated talk in the Arnhem Room about planning the attack. Lunch was then held in the Dining Room at 1pm and then a presentation of a picture t called Reminiscences of Arnhem was made too Moor Park Golf Club by the Glider Pilot Regimental association .
Moor Park – An extraordinary Clubhouse
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n the reign of James 1, the 3rd Earl of Bedford built a country house on high ground in the deer park of the Manor of More. The previous building, a great Tudor palace by the river, had fallen into decay and been dismantled earlier. During 1631, the 4th Earl of Pembroke sold off the land in two lots with the Manor being purchased by Sir Charles Harbord, and the Park by the Earl of Monmouth. In 1670, Charles II’s illegitimate son, James the Duke of Monmouth, built a grand brick house over the Earl of Bedford’s foundations.
In 1923 Lord Leverhulme purchased the property from Lord Ebury and charged Harry Colt with the task of creating three golf courses, the East, West and High.
In 1720 Benjamin Styles, a city speculator, bought the estate from Monmouth’s widow , and from plans of Sir James Thornhill, built a larger house of Portland stone over the brick His decoration of the hall, salon and staircase have been restored recently. After his death came Lord Anson, who employed Capability Brown to landscape the gardens. In the mid 1800s, Robert Grosvenor, the first Lord Ebury, then owner of the Park, purchased the Manor, reuniting the two.
Moor Park Mansion 1787
Clubhouse main hall plus entrance to the Thornhill Room
Entrance to the Arnhem room
Entrance to the Wolsey Room
Significant commentary - Moor Park Courses ‘Moor Park is Hertfordshire’s jewel in the crown in my mind. The fabulous clubhouse sets a tone for great days golfing… The High is testing – and the greens have subtle borrows that demands attention. There is a sense of tradition here and to be so close to London really does afford it prominence. Colt touches throughout and as a visitor pretty accessible.’ 22 March 2014
I played here and found the set up to be excellent. The clubhouse is very impressive and found the staff and members to be very welcoming. The West is a little fiddly with lots of Par 3’s and only 2 Par 5’s but is very enjoyable. The High has some significant elevation changes which make for impressive drives and approaches. The courses were designed by Colt so many of the bunkering etc. is familiar to what you would normally see at his other creations. Well worth a game and well recommended. February 2014
The opening hole High Course
Looking back to the Eighth tee bax High Course
Looking towards 8th Green High Course
View second shot to the 8th - / Tee Box 16th with two ancient Oaks
View from the 9th tee
Moor Park Golf Club: Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 1QN Sat Nav: When using a sat-nav, please use “WD3 1QL” Telephone: 01923 773 146
Golf Shop: 01923 774 113
Course Information: 01923 721 650
Email: enquiries@moorparkgc.co.uk