Castlefacts³

Camel Manor

Has been described as a Possible Palace (Royal)

There are earthwork remains

Name	Camel Manor
Alternative Names
Historic Country	Somerset
Modern Authority	Somerset
1974 Authority	Somerset
Civil Parish	Queen Camel

Manor house mentioned (HKW).

Marginal site, but many be connected with the moat in Coages Park (Verbal communication - Dennison, E Somerset County Council 07.01.85).

Moat is very small, the island being an uneven platform about 15m NW-SE and 20m SW-NE. The ditch which survives on the NW-NE and SE is about 4m wide and 30cm deep with rounded angles. There is no trace of any causeway across the ditch. There is an outer bank around the NW and NE sides and a probable fishpond about 50cm deep extending for c20m NE away from the NE arm, separated from it by a small dam (Site visit report - Burrow, I (30.11.1979)).

The moated site is very well preserved. A building is shown on the 1573 map (SRO DD/M1) and it was probably a hunting lodge for Coages Park (Correspondence - Aston, M to Mr Turner, Camel Hill Farm).

The moat and associated earthworks were surveyed. The platform was found to be 18m E-W and 20m N-S althougth the S side is now part of a modern boundary and unclear. Several boundaries and a possible fishpond were identified, surviving as shallow earthworks. The site is likely to have been a hunting lodge which became redundant when the park was enclosed (Turner).

The site has been ploughed twice in the last two years and the earthworks are very degraded although still visible. The farmer is keen to remove the field from arable cultivation (Chris Webster (24/2/1999)). (Somerset HER)

Queen Camel. Moat in Coage's Park. ST 590264 (MSRGR 1978).

Small moat-like feature at ST 59052637. (APs (OS 71 125 146-7)).

APs in low sunlight have revealed a ditched earthwork enclosure which is probably the moated lodge of Coage's Park, known to have been in this area in the C 16 (PSAHNS 1978)

A prominent wide park pale bank has been noted to the north of this site, which appears to be located in the centre of the park

Field investigation confirmed the existence of a small rectangular moated site with a possible fishpond on the north side. The SW arm of the moat has been damaged by a rhyne. (PSAHNS 1980)

In 1229 the king ordered a hall and chamber to be built at Camel and granted timber for work on his house, which cost over £163. In 1400 the house was said to contain only salt fish, old armour, and weapons of little value and not the luxury goods worth £1,000 from a ship at Rooksmill as claimed. In 1508—9 only a grange, dovecot, and bartons were recorded, the main demesne house was Hazlegrove farm, and the old house, described in the 18th century as having been a palace called the Court, had probably been demolished. Court Close, adjoining the churchyard and with no buildings c.1610 and Pigeon House Mead may be the site of the manor house and dovecot. Foundations of a house were said to have been found but there is no evidence to support Gerard's statement that there was a park there. Culverhay, with dovecot and a house built c.1593 was last recorded in 1652 but in 1841 a cottage near the mill was called Pigeon House. (VCH draft)

Gatehouse Comments

Royal residential manor at time of Henry III. Surrendered by Hubert de Burgh to Henry III in 1228, who then spent £163 13s 2d on building a residential hall before returning the manor to Hubert five years later. This is tentatively linked to the small moat in Coages Park (at map ref given) which is described as a hunting lodge.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

196335

County Historic Environment Record

www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/54436

OS Map Grid Reference	ST590263
Latitude	51.035228729248
Longitude	-2.58537006378174
Eastings	359050
Northings	126350