Beaudesert Hall

Has been described as a Possible Palace (Bishop), and also as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are uncertain remains

NameBeaudesert Hall
Alternative NamesBeudesert; Boudezworth
Historic CountryStaffordshire
Modern AuthorityStaffordshire
1974 AuthorityStaffordshire
Civil ParishLongdon

Castle listed by Harvey as in Staffordshire.

Country house remains. Late C15 core remodelled and extended circa 1600 with further alterations of the C19; dismantled circa 1932. The C15 work is in sandstone ashlar and the later additions in red brick with ashlar dressings. The principal fragment is the south wall of the medieval great hall. It has a chamfered plinth and set high up in the wall are 3 large late C15 transomed windows with 4 upper and 4 lower lights, square heads and Tudor rere-arches. Between the central and left hand windows is an external chimney stack of circa 1600. Towards the west end of wall is a Tudor arch doorway of circa 1600 with ovolo-moulded surround and drips tone and a cyma recta moulded cornice hood. On the inside (north) of the wall to the left of the doorway is a vertical groove in the stonework, which may have taken a screen. There are 2 more large fragments of the house to the north of the great hall, both of brick, one C17 and the other C19. (Listed Building Report)

Gatehouse Comments

Gatehouse believes Harvey's castle must be the bishops hunting lodge Beaudesert Hall which received a licence to crenellate in 1306. The current ruins are of a late C15 house and may represent a new site the original bishops house may have been a rebuild of the C11-C12 Royal hunting lodge at Cannock, possibly within Castle Ring or at Radmoor, although it was said that parts of this house date back to time of William Rufus (White). Thompson writes "Bishop Langton received, in 1306, a licence to crenellate Beaudesert, Staffs and Ashby, Northants and all episocopal palaces in England."

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSK054133
Latitude52.7175788879395
Longitude-1.9200199842453
Eastings405490
Northings313310
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. 363, 409-11
  • Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p. 167, 173
  • Pevsner, N., 1974, Buildings of England: Staffordshire (London, Penguin) p. 67
  • Greenslade, M.W. (ed), 1970, VCH Staffordshire Vol. 3 p. 22-3
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 405 online copy
  • White, William, 1851, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire (Sheffield)
  • Shaw, Stebbing, 1798, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire (J.Nichols abd Son) (Republished 1976 by EP Publishing) Vol. 1 p. 221

Antiquarian

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1898, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward I (1301-1307) Vol. 4 p. 462 online copy

Other

  • Payne, Naomi, 2003, The medieval residences of the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Salisbury (PhD Thesis University of Bristol) Appendix B: List of Medieval Bishop's Palaces in England and Wales (available via EThOS)