Bescot Hall

Has been described as a Certain Fortified Manor House

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameBescot Hall
Alternative NamesBerkmondescote; Berkmendescote
Historic CountryStaffordshire
Modern AuthorityWalsall
1974 AuthorityWest Midlands
Civil ParishWalsall

The original manor-house was moated. Along much of the north-west side the ditch was double. It stood in what is now Pleck Park between the park entrance from Bescot Drive and the M6 motorway, which crosses the south-west corner of the moat. In 1972 the site was marked by a group of trees, the moat having been almost obliterated. The house existed by 1311 when William Hillary was besieged there by Thomas le Rous and over fifty others, and in 1345 Roger Hillary was licensed to crenellate. In at least the later C14 it contained a chapel. By 1666 the house was a substantial building taxable on fourteen hearths, and fourteen rooms are mentioned in 1672. In C18 it was demolished and rebuilt on a new site north-east of the moat on what is now the west side of Bescot Drive. The old site was laid out as a garden connected with the new house by a bridge over the moat. The bridge survived the demolition of the hall but was ruinous by 1937; it has since been removed. (VCH, 1976)

Fieldwork by SMR in conjunction with Joseph Leckie School. Half of site covered by resistivity survey; c20-30 cm of topsoil over reddish sticky clay; augered profiles show moat is filled with fly-ash & has clay base c3m down. Moat visible as shallow depression for much of its circuit. (Lang NAR et al. 1989. Survey at Bescot Hall. SMR). (Wolverhampton and Walsall HER)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO998966
Latitude52.5677680969238
Longitude-2.00441002845764
Eastings399800
Northings296670
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 343
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 15
  • Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p. 30
  • Currie, C.R.J., Greenslade, M.W. and Johnson, D.A., 1976, VCH Staffordshire Vol. 17 p. 171-3 online transcription
  • Lynam, Charles, 1908, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Page, Wm. (ed), VCH Staffordshire Vol. 1 p. 368 (homestead moat) online copy
  • Willmore, Frederic W., 1887, A history of Walsall and its neighbourhood (W.H. Robinson) p. 242 online copy
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 414 online copy
  • Shaw, Stebbing, 1801, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire (J.Nichols abd Son) (Republished 1976 by EP Publishing) Vol. 2 p. 81-2

Journals

  • Larkham, P.J., 1982-3, Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 24 p. 15,49
  • Palliser, D.M., 1972, 'Staffordshire Castles: A Provisional List' Staffordshire Archaeology Vol. 1 p. 5-8
  • Le Patourel, H.E. Jean, 1967 March, Current Archaeology vol 1 no 1 p. 31

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1902, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1343-45) Vol. 6 p. 438. online copy