Monument record MDO952 - Moat north of Benville Manor, Corscombe

A moat situated around 60 metres north of Benville Manor. A ditch around 4 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep encloses a flat area measuring approximately 24 metres by 18 metres. The ditch is partly filled in on the southern side, which is thought to be the least altered. There is water in the other three sides, which have been modified, with a brick and stone revetment on the north and a sluice in the north-east corner to control the water level. There is an outer bank on the northern and eastern sides, 7 metres wide and up to 1 metre high, possibly relating to this period of modification and episodes of cleaning.

A rectangular moat 60 metres north of Benville Manor. The moat has a ditch, up to 4 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep, enclosing a level island 24 metres by 18 metres. It is generally water-filled on the north, west and east sides, where it has been cleaned out and modified. A stone and brick revetment has been added along the northern side and there is a sluice gate controlling the water level in the north eastern corner. There is an outer bank on the northern and eastern sides, 7 metres wide and up to 1 metre high, possibly relating to this period of modification and episodes of cleaning. The southern ditch is partially infilled with material deriving from the adjacent garden to the south, but represents a survival of the original form. <6>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 106 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(3) Benville Manor House … The Moat, N. of the house, is rectangular and has been partly filled in.'

<2> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 24-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

‘Now known as Benville Manor it was formerly known as Benfield Park. It was never a manor house. … The Moat is rather weak and averages 0.6m from the top of the outer bank in the North to the sludge-filled bottom. Gardening has pushed the southern boundary of the southern arm northwards for a few metres but the ditch entirely surrounds the flat and tree covered interior. Within the enclosure are loose fragments of building material which may or may not have been imported. This material is unidentifiable and undateable.’

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, 16-NOV-71 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

‘As described by Rigg. Benville Manor is outstanding, the medieval moat to the N. of the house is partly waterlogged and in fair condition. O.S. 1/2500 survey revised.’

<4> Upton, K L, 1978, The Moated Sites of Dorset, 13 (Unpublished document). SDO14051.

‘This site lies 1 mile South East of Corscombe Church behind Benville Manor House. Lying in the Manor’s garden, the site has been landscaped in the past but has since become overgrown and neglected. The thick vegetation made access to the site difficult but some features were visible, and general dimensions were obtained.
The moat lies on gently sloping ground, on Gault clay. It is rectangular and, according the the Royal Commission, is partly filled in; it is not clear which part this refers to. On visiting the site it was thought that the filling in lies in the region of the North West corner where vegetation was thickest, and, therefore, visibility minimal.
Revetted in brick at its North East corner the moat’s sides are approximately 42 m. long and 5 – 10 m. wide. The entire ditch has been dug into a levelled area and the platform extends above the slope which runs down to the source of the River Frome North of the site. The moat’s outflow was governed by a sluice which lies in the North East corner where water still collects. As a perched example it does not have any further earthworks other than a low external bank along part of its East side. Any internal earthworks on the raised platform were not visible and were probably destroyed by the landscaping mentioned above.
South of the site lies Benville Manor (See Fig.), undoubtedly the successor to the moat site. The move was probably made through the need for a larger area of land. The present house dates from 1610 indicating a possible date for the abandonment of the moated site.
A number of house platforms were recognised along Benville Lane to the East of the site, implying that the hamlet was once larger.
Court Ley (see Page ) lies only ¼ mile away on the other side of the lane and may be the predecessor to the Manor site.
The matter of parklands existing to the South of the site was mentioned concerning Court Ley. A continuous well-established hedge and bank runs South West from the Manor and then turns South East (see Fig. ). It is believed that the boundary rejoined the ancient road at about point B and left it at about point C west of Benville Knap Farm. The three roads enclosing the area are all very old, and the Tithe map of 1841 names two of the enclosed fields as Little Park and Great Park.
The site is probably associated with the family of John de Benefeld mentioned under the Parish of Corscombe in 1340.’

<5> Field Investigators Comments MCC, F3 MCC 18-FEB-87 (Unpublished document). SDO16335.

‘The moat has clearly been altered on its north, east and west sides, where stone with occasional brick revetment has been added. This is clearest at the north east corner, where a sluice gate, controlling the water level, is located. The moat is dry on the south side, where the probable original form of the moat survives. Here the ditch is up to 4.0m wide and 1.5m deep. Landscaping has levelled the interior, and no internal detail survives. It is likely that the revetment of the moat belongs to the same episode. Masonry on the surface, within the moat, includes coping stones, their origin is unknown. No causeway or abutment point is visible. On the north side of the moat is a low bank 5-6m wide and up to 1m high. This is probably derived from clearance of the moat when the revetment was added.’

<6> Historic England, Scheduled Monument Notification, 25-Nov-99 (Scheduling record). SDO17468.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1304505 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 8 2024 10:48AM