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Beaumont Chase

Beaumont Chase was to the west of Uppingham. There is no village, and never was, although Beaumont Chase Farm is shown on modern OS maps. In 1884 Beaumont Chase Farm was known as King's Hill Lodge, implying it was used as a hunting lodge.

Beaumont Chase was a large hunting forest (or 'chase') created after 1066 by the king. Various villages were created around the Chase and their fields steadily encroached on the Chase.

Plausibly before the conversion to christianity this was woodland dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon deity Thunor (see Ayston for details.)

Beaumont Chase Farm is on King's Hill with dramatic views to the west. Presumably King's Hill was the bello/beau monte which gave the royal forest its new name. It is the only place-name in Rutland of Norman origin. No counterparts to, say, Mountsorrel, Belgrave or Belvoir Castle.

As there was no village the Chase remained extra-parochial until 1799, although it was part of Martinsley Hundred.


Castle Hill

When not hunting the Normans rested at Castle Hill. The remains of a substantial Norman motte survive with a large bailey to the east; the other sides are protected by steep slopes. This castle was probably the base for the foresters (or verderers) responsible for Beaumont Chase.

Preliminary archaeological investigation revealed evidence for considerable iron working. Such a combination of forest administration and lucarative iron working was also associated with the Norman castle at Hallaton, Leicestershire.

There is an article about Castle Hill in Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society 1999 p22–23 but this is not online. However the HER listing provides lots of details and aerial photographs and there is an article about all Rutland castles in Rutland Record No.20.

There is a posthumous contribution by Elaine Jones in in Rutland Record No.42 which simulataneously summarises the prehistory of Castle Hill and attempts to put the location – and indeed Rutland as a whole – into a wider archaeological context.


Victoria County History page for Beaumont Chase.


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