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Cannock Castle Ring

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Beaudesert

In the civil parish of Cannock Wood.
In the historic county of Staffordshire.
Modern Authority of Staffordshire.
1974 county of Staffordshire.
Medieval County of Staffordshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SK04431282
Latitude 52.71384° Longitude -1.93704°

Cannock Castle Ring has been described as a probable Palace, and also as a probable Fortified Manor House.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

'Foundations of building' are shown on the plan of Castle Ring Camp (VCH, 1908). They can be associated with those mentioned by Cockin which have been variously described as the remains of a hunting lodge or the site of the Castle of Beaudesert. Molyneux refers to remains of a medieval structure which he excavated within Castle Ring. On a rectangular platform made in the gentle eastern slope of this part of the plateau-fort (I.A.) are the stone footings 1.5 m. thick, of a substantial building. Its ground-plan is that of a probable 12/13th century hall, orientated north to south, with a screen-passage near the south end. The foundations of the Medieval lodge, centred at SK 0435 1290, within Castle Ring Hillfort were surveyed at 1:200 by RCHME in 1988. The stone foundations measure 20.6m by 11.5m externally. The outer edge of the building is defined by a scarp that represents the base of an excavation trench and in places by a chamfered stone plinth. The building comprises two (or possibly three) cells separated by a narrow passage way. The southernmost cell measuring 3.1m north-south and 8.2m transversely is the smaller of the two, and is clearly defined by a combination of insitu stones and low scarps. The position of a former doorway in the north wall of the cell is discernible, and at the east end of the passage way is a carefully worked door jam. The northernmost cell is considerably larger, measuring 11m north-south and 8.2m transversely. It is also defined by a small scarp and, in places, by insitu stones. Along the central axis of the room are three sub-rectangular depressions, the middle one of which contains a chamfered sandstone pillar base. There is considerable disturbance around the exterior of the building due largely to previous excavation of the foundations; however it is possible that the disturbance is partly indicative of further building remains. A resistivity survey of the area carried out in 1987 failed to provide any further detail on the building. (PastScape)
Comments

Possibly the site of a royal hunting lodge used by William II and Henry I but probably abandoned early in reign of Henry II who built a new lodge at Radmore. The name Beaudesert now applies to the Hall a mile to the NE but may well have originally applied to the medieval building within this IA fort, the fort itself and the surrounding hunting park.
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
PastScape   County HER   Scheduling        
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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This record last updated 26/07/2017 09:20:10

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