Listed Building record MDO10699 - Benville Manor House, Corscombe

An manor house which is largely of early 17th century date, but is possibly earlier in origin. The two storeyed house is of H - plan construction with alterations dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. It is built from rubblestone with a plain tile roof. Attached to the south elevation are walls and gate-piers pf 18th century date.

There seems to be no early account of the hamlet of Benville except that it "anciently belonged to the Kymers of W, Chelborough.." The Kymers of W. Chelborough were connected with Benville in 1439. After them came the Breretons, Arundells and Hannes families. The Breretons were here in 1620. These last three families were catholics, and had a small oratory in the house, perhaps in a wing of the original manor which has been destroyed. <1>

The Kymers of W. Chelborough were connected with Benville in 1439. After them came the Breretons, Arundells and Hannes families. The Breretons were here in 1620. These last three families were catholics, and had a small oratory in the house, perhaps in a wing of the original manor which has been destroyed. <3>

Benville Manor House: Built early in the 17thc on an H-plan. The house is two-storeyed, with rubble, ashlar and brick walls, and a tiled roof. The N. cross wing has been much modernised and the main block has been refaced in 18thc. brick. The Moat: This is rectangular but has been partly filled in. <4>

Now known as Benville Manor it was formerly known as Benfield Park. It was never a manor house. It was sold in 1620 and therefore may be older than the 17thc though it has been considerably altered by the bay windows in the south wall and by the rebuilding of the Northern wing about 1880 (a). Description T2 is correct. The house is well preserved with obvious modern additions. The bay windows referred to in T3 are mullioned. The roof is modern. 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. <6>

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. See G.Ps. <7>

The moat lies on gently sloping ground. It is rectangular with the filling referred to by Auth 1 thought to have occurred at the North West corner. The moat's sides are approximately 42m long and between 5-10m wide. The outflow was governed by a sluice in the north east corner. Landscaping has probably destroyed any internal earthwork. <9>

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. <10>

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1861, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 1, 91 (Monograph). SWX4496.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1930 (Map). SWX1540.

[ST 53420572] Benville Manor [NR] [ST 53430879] Moat [NR]

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1932, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1931, LXVI (Serial). SDO35.

<4> 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 and moat, 1 m. S.E. of the church. The House is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of rubble and ashlar with some brick and the roofs are tiled. It was built early in the 17th century on an H-shaped plan with the cross-wings at the N. and S. ends. At some uncertain period the E. part of the N. cross-wing was pulled down. The rest of this wing has been much modernised and there are modern additions in the N. angles of the S. cross-wing. The S. front has a modern central porch and doorway; above it is an original three-light window and a modern gable and chimney-stack; on either side of the porch are two 17th-century bay-windows of two storeys with hipped roofs; they have four lights on the face and one in each canted side. The E. end of the cross-wing has been refronted, but one of the two windows in the W. gable is original. The main block has been refaced on the E. side in 18th-century brick as has the upper part of the W. side; here there is a reset original doorway with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head. Inside the building the S. cross-wing retains some moulded ceiling-beams perhaps of the 16th century and reused. The S.W. room has some reset 17th-century panelling. In the S.E. room is some 15th or early 16th-century heraldic glass set in a jumble of fragments inserted about 1880; the arms are as follows—(a) Churchill (?) quartering argent a cheveron between three roundels sable and two damaged coats; (b) Carrant; (c) Penny (?); (d) Arundel; (e) Argent a leopard rampant sable impaling sable a cheveron gules between three spear-heads argent. Preserved in the house are a chasuble, stole and maniple of 15th-century English work; the chasuble has fleurs-de-lis, flowers, seraphim and figures of saints under canopies.

The Moat, N. of the house, is rectangular and has been partly filled in.’

<6> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 24-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<6.1> Troyte Bullock, Mrs, Oral: Mrs Troyte Bullock (owner, occupier), Benville Manor, Corscombe (Verbal communication). SDO18818.

<7> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 16-NOV-71 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<8> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 170 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<9> Upton, K L, 1978, The Moated Sites of Dorset, 13 (Unpublished document). SDO14051.

<10> Field Investigators Comments MCC, F3 MCC 18-FEB-87 (Unpublished document). SDO16335.

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS71/F4/6 (Index). SDO14738.

BENVILLE MANOR-BUILT EARLY 17TH C. ON AN H-PLAN. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS71/F4/7 (Index). SDO14738.

BENVILLE MANOR. BUILT EARLY 17TH C. ON AN H-PLAN. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<13> National Record of the Historic Environment, 195898 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 17 2022 1:14PM