20-459: Benefield Castle was sited in the village of Lower Benefield , between the towns of Corby and Oundle in Northamptonshire at grid reference SP987884 . Benefield Castle is classed as a ring work, and is thought to have been constructed during the twelfth century. Ringworks were Anglo Saxon medieval fortifications consisting of some buildings surrounded a large ditch and surmounted by
40-412: A part of the wall was standing in 1724, surrounding around an acre of land. The manor house appears to have survived long after the castle was pulled down and is mentioned by Bridges in 1445. By the mid eighteenth century the only structure that remained was a stone wall, while maps created during the nineteenth century show that the main gatehouse, the entrance of the castle was on its eastern side, facing
60-653: A pub 'The Wheatsheaf' pub and hotel , originally a coaching inn dating from the 17th century. The pub is now closed and being renovated to residential properties. There is also a cricket club. Benefield Parish Church in Lower Benefield is dedicated to St Mary and is part of the Benefice of Benefield, Glapthorn and Oundle St Peter's . It is in the Rural Deanery of Oundle and is part of the Archdeaconry of Oakham within
80-545: A timber palisade or a stone wall. The exact date of the construction is not known, records however show that the castle is mentioned by name in documents dating to the thirteenth century. It may have one of the many fortifications create during the anarchy during the reign of King Stephen (1138–44). The castle was seized by King John in 1208, as the owner Hugh de Lisurs had failed to pay his debts. Henry III issued an order of restraint to his knights on 15 May 1264, after Battle of Lewes , stating that he had come to terms with
100-566: Is now central London . The only remaining one with the galleries to the bedrooms above is The George Inn, Southwark , owned by the National Trust and still run as a pub. Many have been demolished and plaques mark their location. The Nomura building close to the Museum of London on London Wall commemorates the "Bull and Mouth" Inn. The Golden Cross House, opposite St Martin's in the Fields recalls
120-618: Is probably the oldest Welsh coaching inn. Other historic inns in Wales include the Black Boy Inn (built 1522) and the Groes Inn (1573). The Bear, Oxford , was founded in 1774 as 'The Jolly Trooper' from the house of the stableman to the coaching inn 'The Bear Inn', on High Street . It acquired the name The Bear, and the history of the coaching inn, when The Bear Inn was converted into a private house in 1801. There were many coaching inns in what
140-464: Is tall and gabled . Located about 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west, Fermyn Woods Hall has an Elizabethan centre in the plan of a letter 'E' with neo-Elizabethan extensions of ca.1850. The south side of the stables has the gateway from nearby Lyveden New Bield as its centrepiece. The Hall was occupied by the Belville family in the 1930s. When they left its size was reduced and parts auctioned including
160-400: The 2001 Census it had a population of 308, 146 males and 162 females in 138 households. increasing to 339 at the 2011 census. The parish consists of Upper Benefield and Lower Benefield . The village has its own Parish Council. The local unitary council is North Northamptonshire Council . Lower Benefield has a village hall which was refurbished in 2009. Upper Benefield used to have
180-583: The Diocese of Peterborough . The church was re-built in 1847 and paid for by James Watts Russell of Biggin Hall, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Benefield (see below). Only the chancel of the old church was retained, dating from the 14th-century. The Hall dates from ca.1700 and is partly hidden behind a portico of ca.1750. There are two pavilions at each end. Miles Joseph Berkeley (1 April 1803 – 30 July 1889), an English cryptogamist and clergyman , and one of
200-536: The Golden Cross, Charing Cross coaching inn. A pair of coaching inns along Watling Street in Stony Stratford are claimed to have given rise to the term " cock and bull stories ". The claim is that stories by coach passengers would be further embellished as they passed between the two hostelries, "The Cock" and "The Bull", fuelled by ale and an interested audience. Hence any suspiciously elaborate tale would become
220-451: The barons so they must be peaceful during their stay. An incident is recorded for the following year that men of Edward , the future king of England, who were housed at the castle attacked Biggin Manor and then crossed the river to loot cattle belonging to Oundle , however they were repulsed and a counterattack allowed the owners to recover many of their cattle. Soon after this incident the castle
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#1732876983783240-456: The castle plundered the manor of Biggin and crossed the river to Oundle, where and at Ashton they took a number of cattle. The men of Oundle, however, made a counter-attack and recovered many of their beasts. Not long after this date the castle was probably dismantled. In 1298 it is described as an old castle, and in 1315 the site of the castle only is referred to. It continued a ruin and is so described in 1378. The building dates from 1877-8 and
260-507: The day following the Battle of Lewes , Henry III, while a prisoner with Simon de Montfort, issued a mandate to the knights and others in Benefield Castle , stating that peace having been made between the king and his barons, they were not to go out of the castle nor do any ill in those parts. It was probably in the following year that, the castle being held for Edward, the king's son, the men of
280-496: The elaborate large porch. 52°29′N 0°32′W / 52.483°N 0.533°W / 52.483; -0.533 Coaching inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn ) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway , providing a resting point ( layover ) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of travellers, for food, drink, and rest. The attached stables, staffed by hostlers , cared for
300-454: The founders of the science of plant pathology , was born in the Hall. Established in 1208, all that remains is a moated platform west of the church. It has been derelict since 1315 or earlier. It may have been one of the numerous forts thrown up during the Anarchy of King Stephen's reign (1138–44). It was in existence in 1208, when John seized it for the debts of Hugh de Lisurs. On 15 May 1264,
320-768: The horses, including changing a tired team for a fresh one. Coaching inns were used by private travellers in their coaches , the public riding stagecoaches between one town and another, and (in England at least) the mail coach . Just as with roadhouses in other countries, although many survive, and some still offer overnight accommodation, in general coaching inns have lost their original function and now operate as ordinary pubs . Coaching inns stabled teams of horses for stagecoaches and mail coaches and replaced tired teams with fresh teams. In America, stage stations performed these functions. Traditionally English coaching inns were seven miles (11 km) apart but this depended very much on
340-408: The manor farm. Today only some of the earthworks are visible on the high ground on a natural spur on the western side of Lower Benefield . Archaeological evidence has suggested the evidence of buildings, both domestic and defensive, and a large platform on which they were constructed, the platform had rounded corners, and measured around 60 m × 50 m (200 ft × 160 ft), and
360-555: The terrain. Some English towns had as many as ten such inns and rivalry between them was intense, not only for the income from the stagecoach operators but for the revenue for food and drink supplied to the passengers. Barnet , Hertfordshire still has an unusually high number of historic pubs along its high street due to its former position on the Great North Road from London to Scotland. The Black Lion in Cardigan (established 1105)
380-898: Was 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high. The large ditch, which was a common feature of such fortifications, survives and measures up to 10 m (33 ft) wide and 3 m (9.8 ft) deep, however its southern part has been infilled. Benefield Benefield is a civil parish in North Northamptonshire , England, along the A427 road and about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Corby and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Oundle . The villages name means 'open land of Bera's people'. The name has evolved from Benefield (11th century); Banefield, Benifeld (12th); Beningfelde, Benefilde, Berifelde, Benetfeld, Benifeud, Beningfeud (13th); Benyngfielde alias Benefielde alias Beddingfielde (16th). The Domesday Book refers to it as Benefield. According to
400-429: Was pulled down, so in documents of 1298 it is mentioned as "an old castle", by the year 1315, there were no buildings that remained standing so documents show that only the site of the castle is mentioned, and none of its buildings. The site is mentioned again as a ruin in 1378. John Leyland mentions the ruins in 1535 as '"the diche and mines of an old castelle" (the ditch and mines of an old castle). Bridges mentions that
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