From the mid-12th century the Manor of Petworth was held by the Percy family, the powerful and often rebellious Earls of Northumberland. These lords had an enclosed deer park at Mitchell Park, then called Micel (great) Park, where records indicate there was a hunting lodge with gardens and orchards.
From the mid-12th century, the Manor of Petworth was owned by the influential Percy family, who were known as the powerful and sometimes defiant Dukes of Northumberland. These nobles had a fenced-in deer park at Mitchell Park, previously referred to as Micel (great) Park, where records show there was a hunting lodge with gardens and orchards.