More information : (SP 57741199) Moat (NR) (1)
Beckley. The 'hunting lodge' on the site of the modern Lower
Park Farm (identified on OS 6" 1900) (now Beckley Park) was first
mentioned in 1347 when it was being repaired. In 1375, it was
rebuilt for Edward III, and it is recorded that the lodge had a
great hall surrounded by a ditch, a mound, and an outer moat. He
strengthened the hall with four stone buttresses built up from
the ditch, and had the whole lodge ringed with a third ditch and
mound. The remains of the hall, buttresses and the three moats
can be seen today. The medieval lodge was probably ruinous when
acquired by Sir John Williams in Edward VI's reign, and the
existing red-brick house which must have been built by 1600, is
probably his work. It has the normal arrangement of hall, parlour,
buttery and kitchen, but the three massive towers on the north
side are an unusual architechtural feature. Grade 1. (2-4)
The present house built c 1540 in the triple moated site (see
plan). (5-6)
Centred SP57731198. The triple moats are situated in low-lying
ground and fed from the south by a small stream; the original
entrance to the Lodge was probably on the south-west side. The
inner waterfilled moat encloses an area 35.0m
(north-west/south-east) by 25.0m and is complete save for most of
the south-west arm which was probably infilled when the 16th century
house was constructed. The interior is now an ornamental garden and
there are no traces of the lodge.
Between the inner and middle moat there is a grassed interspace
from 10.0m to 15.0m wide (except on the north-east side). The
majority of the south-east arm of the middle, waterfilled, moat
has been effaced and covered by farm buildings. The south angle
has evidently been reconstructed since it is not shown on the OS.
25" CS1. The outer and middle moats are contiguous and the former,
now dry, is not as deep as its partners. The south-east side of
this outer moat is also infilled although its course can be
vaguely detected in the overgrown orchard.
The mound shown at SP 57731203 on Aston's plan is most probably
dredged silt and that at SP 57681195 is bank clearance.
'Beckley Park' (name verified) is an outstanding five-bay Tudor
house, brick built with extensive diaper work and three,
three-storey 'wings' at the rear, a central and two outer 'stunted'
wings giving the house an 'E' plan. The chimneys and front porch
have been rebuilt.
Surveyed at 1:2500 on PFD. (7)
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