Deeds relating to Tracy Park Estate

Deeds of Bilton, Cold Ashton, Doynton, Wick and Abson

NB The deeds were all in original bundles which were often very large and it has been necessary to split them for ease of handling, but in most cases the sequence follows the numbering within each section

Documents given by Mr R Kent

The estate owes its name to a small park formed in the Middle Ages by the Tracy family who were lords of the manor of Doynton from 1246. The park which occupied about 100 acres at the bottom of Freezing Hill was sold by the Tracys in 1595: the deeds date from 1560. The house was built shortly after the sale in the early seventeenth century

During the eighteenth century the property, now about 200 acres, was held by a succession of prosperous Bristol tradesmen including Robert Bush, pewterer, and his son of the same name. In 1808 the house was described as having been "lately repaired altered and enlarged". In 1820 the house and 120 acres was sold by Bush to William Davy and by 1839 the estate had shrunk to 67 acres. In 1856 the Revd Charles Raikes Davy inherited it, bought more land and further enlarged the house. This was done between 1858 and 1871 when most of the estate walls and buildings were erected. The architect was probably J E Gill of Bath. (See N Kingsley, Country Houses of Gloucestershire vol.ii p.255).

Until c.1914 the Davy family lived at Tracy Park and at that time it was let to Charles S Clarke; he bought the freehold in 1926. His descendants kept the house until 1973 since when it has been a golf and country club and an hotel.