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Designations

• Scheduled Monument () 1006354: Beaumont Castle

Monument Type(s):

• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Summary

A rectangular enclosure, with an outer court of irregular shape on the south side. Possible foundations within interior. Mound in NW corner has been flattened.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds:

Description

1) The main enclosure is surrounded by a ditch 3.0m deep with an inner bank 0.9-1.2m high. The interior has many bumps which may hide foundations. The outer court ditch and bank are stronger, reaching a maximum depth and height of 3.6m and 1.5m respectively on the south side. According to the VCH the NW corner contained a lower mound, but this has now been flattened.
2) Possible bailey enclosure to north.
3) Possible barbican to west of village street.
4) Identified as motte and bailey castle for MPP.
5) Castle probably built by Roger D'Ivry who held the manor at the time of Domesday survey; subsequently it passed to the St Valery family. It has been suggested that this castle may have been the principal manor of the honor of St Valery.
9) See DRF for copy.
10) Visit made to Beaumont Castle in respect of planning application to erect barn within inner ward. Description of earthworks and finds made by owner given.
11) A machine excavated part of the south-west corner; thought to be the location of the main keep. Massive foundations were uncovered and a possible blocked up entrance.
12) The evaluation has been successful in locating potential archaeological deposits, and finds of Iron Age date. Though the base of features cut the subsoil, the extent of their original form seems somewhat truncated under modern levelling layers from the building of the farm and the subsequent 19th- and 20th-century development of the site. The current ground level in the site is somewhat below the natural topography and it seems likely that the Iron Age pottery recovered is redeposited rather than in situ in an Iron Age feature.
13) Motte plotted as cropmarks on Northamptonshire NMP, which also identifies a large curved ditch to the north of the scheduled area, which is likely to represent an outer bailey

<1> English Heritage, Scheduled Ancient Monuments Record, SM 102 (Scheduling record). SOX283.

<1a> Victoria County History of Oxford, Vol 2, p.325-6 (Serial). SOX252.

<2> Aerial Photographs, Northants County Council photos, G Foard (1984) (Photograph). SOX295.

<3> Field Notes/Field Visit, J M Steane, Dr I Burrow, 18.3.86. See report in DRF (Unpublished document). SOX261.

<4> MPP Documents for Oxfordshire, S Lisk, 18.11.92 (Index). SOX259.

<5> Victoria County History of Oxford, Vol VI, p.252 (Serial). SOX252.

<6> Black and White print photographs, 1 aerial view of earthworks taken by Helicopter Training School, Netheravon (1972/3) (Photograph). SOX315.

<7> Additional Information in Detailed Record File, Correspondence relating to history of site and notes (1970's) (Index). SOX258.

<8> English Heritage/Historic England, NMR Aerial Photographs, SP6134/6 - NMR 21058/18 (Photograph). SOX294.

<9> NMR Monument - Long Listing Filed in Detailed Record File (Index). SOX391.

<10> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA 9 NL 9 (1979); p 83 (Serial). SOX5.

<11> Additional Information in Detailed Record File (Index). SOX258.

<12> Thames Valley Archaeological Services, 2017, Glebe Farm, Mixbury, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation (Digital archive). SOX5791.

<13> Northamptonshire County Council, 2008, The Northamptonshire National Mapping Programme [data-set] (Digital archive). SOX6028.

Sources

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