Bescot Hall

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Berkmondescote

In the civil parish of Walsall. In the historic county of Staffordshire (Modern Authority of Walsall, 1974 county of West Midlands).

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 northeast 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.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO99809667

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 118786
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p343
    Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern) p15
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p30
    Currie, C.R.J., Greenslade, M.W. and Johnson, D.A., 1976, VCH Staffordshire Vol17 p171-3
    Lynam, C., 1908, in Page, Wm. (ed), VCH Staffordshire Vol1 p368
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p414
    Shaw, Stebbing, 1801, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire (J.Nichols abd Son) [Republished 1976 by EP Publishing] Vol2 p81-2
• Journal Articles
  • Larkham, P.J., 1982-3, Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol24 p15,49
    Palliser, D.M., 1972, 'Staffordshire Castles: A Provisional List' Staffordshire Archaeology Vol1 p5-8
    Le Patourel, H.E. Jean, 1967 March, Current Archaeology vol 1 no 1 p31
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1343-45) p438