Thomas Haddon built the walled gardens at Old Park with the intention of establishing a vineyard within them. The walls, up to eleven feet high, were intended to provide shelter and anchors for the vine stretcher wires.

George Brannon in the 1831 edition of Vectis Scenery states that 'Old Park is the newly-formed residence of Thomas Haddon, Esq. situated considerably below the public road, towards the sea. The house is handsomely built, and the ground highly varied and profusely planted'.

A drawing made in 1832 shows the house with the northern lake in the foreground and depicts a picturesque waterfall beside it.

Mrs Haddon was blamed by Mark William Norman in his memoirs for much expense at Old Park with her whims and caprices in causing portions of the building to be pulled to pieces and altered to suit her ideas. This and an unfortunate speculation caused them to be reduced to bankruptcy around 1832. The picture of the newspaper clipping confirms the sale.