GATEHOUSE
The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
Home
The listings
Other Info
Books
Links
Downloads
Contact
 
Print Page 
 
Next Record 
Previous Record 
Back to list 

Beoley Holt End

In the civil parish of Beoley.
In the historic county of Worcestershire.
Modern Authority of Worcestershire.
1974 county of Hereford and Worcester.
Medieval County of Worcestershire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SP07726950
Latitude 52.32360° Longitude -1.88819°

Beoley Holt End has been described as a Masonry Castle although is doubtful that it was such, and also as a Fortified Manor House although is doubtful that it was such.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

Description

Water filled earthwork identifiable on 1st Edition OS map and 2005 aerial mapping. Potentially the southern half of a moat, 110-120 metres long across the southern arm. The northern half has been back-filled.
A site visit on 22/04/2008 showed the modern houses to be built on a large rectangular platform raised high above the surrounding area, and commanding good views in all directions. Nash mentions that the Beachamps had a seat in Beoley which burnt down in 1303 and Habingdon mentions a castle in Beoley 'now in ruins'. These two statements are generally taken to refer to The Mount, which lies circa 1km to the west and is Scheduled as an Iron Age Hill fort, re-fortified in the medieval period. However, this site could be the location for the medieval castle and is of significant archaeological potential. The site visit confirmed the survival of substantial earthworks. (Worcestershire and Worcester City HER)

Habington wrote of Beoley: 'Cominge to the mannors which weare purchased by the Earles of Warwicke, Boeley presenteth itself as the fyrst and worthyest, a Lordshyp in former ages fortifyed with a Castell, the Churche mounted on a hyll in the myddest of a large parcke replenyshed with deere, inryched and grand with timber and woodes, and lastly the mannor attended with tenants wanting nothinge concurringe to greatenes.' (VCH)
Comments

Habingdon early C17 description suggests the castle was beside the church, ie The Mount, rather than this site. The nature of this site is obscure. Nothing in the VCH suggestive of another manor house, but the size of the moat suggested on the 1st edn. OS map is well beyond that of a homestead moat. Is this merely a field boundary and drainage ditch? Was anything found when the foundations for the modern houses with the 'moat' were dug?
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
    County HER            
Maps >
Streetmap   NLS maps   Where's the path   Old-Maps      
Data/Maps > 
Magic   V. O. B.   Geology   LiDAR   Open Domesday  
Air Photos > 
Bing Maps   Google Maps   Getmapping   ZoomEarth      
Photos >
CastleFacts   Geograph   Flickr   Panoramio      

Sources of information, references and further reading
Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.
It is an offence to disturb a Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from ANY site without proper recording and reporting.
Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation.
The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of Historic England, County Historic Environment Records and other individuals and organisations. It may also contain information licensed under the Open Government Licence. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes.
The author and compiler of Gatehouse does not receive any income from the site and funds it himself. The information within this site is provided freely for educational purposes only.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.
The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.
Please help to make this as useful a resource as possible by contacting Gatehouse if you see errors, can add information or have suggestions for improvements in functality and design.
Help is acknowledged.
This record last updated 26/07/2017 09:20:09

Home | Books | Links | Fortifications and Castles | Other Information | Help | Downloads | Author Information | Contact
¤¤¤¤¤