HAM COURT

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

BAMPTON CASTLE

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DESCRIPTION

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The gatehouse and curtain wall of an early 14th century castle built for Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, who obtained a licence to crenellate in 1315. The castle was adapted into a dwelling in the 17th century, and was extended in the 18th and 19th centuries. A documentary source of the 17th century describes the castle as being quadrangular in plan and moated, with towers at the corners and gatehouses to the east and west, and possibly to the north and south. The west gatehouse and the lodging range adjoining it to the north were converted into a farmhouse before 1660 and the remainder of the castle was subsequently demolished. The upper floor of the gatehouse was dismantled some time before 1821, leaving a two storey structure. The farmhouse was extended before 1876 by the addition of a two storey extension to the south, behind the curtain wall. The early 14th century castle may have succeeded an earlier house on the site, built circa 1256.

DETAIL

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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(SP 30960306) Ham Court (NAT) and remains of (NAT) Castle (NR)

(SP 30870317) Lady Well (NR)

(SP 30880318 - 30920306) Moat (NR) (1)

Ham Court incorporates the gate-house of the castle built by Aymer de Valence in 1315. On the east and west fronts are the great entrance arches, now blocked, and on the west side are buttresses and the remains of a battlemented parapet. (2)

North of Ham Court, the gateway of the demolished castle, is a raised court 500ft by 200ft bounded on the east by a stream. The ditch remains on the west side, extending southwards to the gate-house. (3)

The remains of the gatehouse are as depicted on the OS 25" with 16/17 century alterations and 19th c additions. The frontage faces SW. There are no other remains of the castle. See GPs.

Little survives of the moat or ditch which enclosed the court except a scarp along the W side and a shallow dry ditch from SP 31000314 to SP 31060318 along the S side.

Lady Well in the NW corner of the moat is a hollow 1.5m square and 0.7m deep. It was formerly lined with stone blocks most of which have been thrown out and lie scattered in the vicinity. If it is medieval it must be late because of its position in the bottom of the now dry moat.

OS 1:2500 survey revised. (4)

Ham court. Gatehouse and part of curtain wall of early C14 castle built for Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, who obtained licence to crenellate 1315. Adapted to dwelling C17, with mid-late C19 extension. Listed grade II* ; see list for details. (5)

Formerly Bampton Castle. Described by Anthony Wood in the C17 as "a quadrangular building, moated, with towers at each corner and a gatehouse of tower like character on the West and East sides." (6)

A documentary source of the 17th century describes the castle as being quadrangular in plan and moated, with towers at the corners and gatehouses to the east and west, and possibly to the north and south. The west gatehouse and the lodging range adjoining it to the north were converted into a farmhouse before 1660 and the remainder of the castle was subsequently demolished. The upper floor of the gatehouse was dismantled some time before 1821, leaving a two storey structure. The farmhouse was extended before 1876 by the addition of a two storey extension to the south, behind the curtain wall. The early 14th century castle may have succeeded an earlier house on the site, built circa 1256. (7)

Listed by Cathcart King. (8)

More a fortified house than a castle, with the surviving gatehouse not of great strength. (9)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1960

( 2) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

MHLG (Witney R D June 1952, 4)

( 3) edited by William Page 1907 The Victoria history of the County of Oxford: volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England (W Potts) 1907 Page(s)331

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NVQ 01-MAR-71

( 5) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) Dist of West Oxon, 4 May 1989, 52

( 6) by Jennifer Sherwood and Nikolaus Pevsner 1974 Oxfordshire

The buildings of England 1974 Page(s)433

(7) edited by Alan Crossley 1996 A history of the County of Oxford, volume 13 : Bampton Hundred, part one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)23-25

(8) David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands

Page(s)385

(9) Country Life

19 July 1946 Page(s)121

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