Bridge And Retaining Walls To Middle Moat At Beckley Park

The bridge and retaining walls to the middle moat at Beckley Park date from the 16th century, with the walls possibly being older. Constructed from limestone rubble and brickwork, the stone bridge features two plain semi-circular arches, masonry parapets, and a pitched stone pavement. A rubble wall runs along the inner side of the moat, starting from the left gable wall of Beckley Park and extending to the southern corner of the moat, where it turns north-east for a few metres. To the right of the bridge, there are five raking buttresses, and the section directly in front of the house is raised with old brickwork. The house itself was likely built by Lord Williams of Thame around 1540 on the site of an earlier 13th-century lodge established by Richard, Earl of Cornwall. A square gazebo located at the angle of the moat was added in the 20th century.