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The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read the important guidance on the use of the West Berkshire HER data. For these purposes and all other commercial enquiries, please contact the Archaeology team and complete our online HER enquiry form.


This site is designated as being of national importance and is afforded additional protection. Consult West Berkshire Council's Archaeology team if more information or advice is needed.



HER Number MWB16238
Record Type Monument
Name Moated manorial site at Beaumys Castle, 200 NE of Priory Farm, Swallowfield

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Summary

Scheduled site in Wokingham District, but bordering onto West Berkshire

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument 1013179: Moated Manorial Site at Beaumy's Castle, 200m north-east of Priory Farm

Monument Type(s):

  • MANOR HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)

Full Description

Old Berkshire SM 146, MPP (Monuments Protection Programme) 12018 - but not in West Berkshire. The monument includes a partly dry rectangular moat with a single causeway, and an external bank. Although described as a castle, the interior of the site shows no sign of masonry <1>. The manor of Beaumy's was held by the Dispenser/Despenser family from the first half of the 13th century, but in 1339 a different owner Nicholas de la Beche (of Aldworth) obtained a licence to crenellate the house. It is suggested that the de la Beche family gave their name to nearby Beech Hill, although Beaumys Castle is currently not in Beech Hill parish.

Sources and further reading

<01>Historic England (previously English Heritage). Schedule of Monuments. [Unpublished document / SWB12738]
<02>Ditchfield and Page (eds). 1906. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks I 1906. Vol 1. p271. [Monograph / SWB10017]
https://archive.org/details/victoriahistoryo01ditcuoft (Accessed on 22/12/2021)
<03>Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1923. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks III 1923. Vol 3. p268, 270-1. [Monograph / SWB10005]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3 (Accessed 08/03/2022)
<04>Beech Hill History Society. 2008. Memories of Beech Hill - A short history of the village of Beech Hill, Berkshire. p9-13, Illust. [Unpublished document / SWB148126]

Related Monuments

MWB5293BEECH HILL (Place)
MWB4130De la Beche, Aldworth (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

  • None recorded

    • Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.