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Bishopsteignton Bishops Palace
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Bishop's Teignton; Ash Hill Farm; Radway
In the civil parish of Bishopsteignton.
In the historic county of Devon (Modern Authority of Devon, 1974 county of Devon).
Parts of curtain walls and remains of chapel. Probably early C14. Red sandstone and brecchia rubble, neatly dressed with some evidence of render on the curtain walling; chapel dressings a yellowish stone, possibly Salcombe Regis. The site is described in detail by Michael Laithwaite in a Devon County Council Archaeological Report. Plan: A stretch of tall wall to the east of the site and a second section approximately 100m to the west appear to indicate the width of the enclosing walls of the site; a recently exposed lower section of wall to the north may be the remains of the north enclosing wall. The chapel remains consist of a tall south wall and east wall with cusped lancet windows. There are several farmbuildings on the site and the west curtain wall is within a cattle shed. Although the site has been extensively robbed for building material the surviving remains above ground are of major interest and features, including a flight of stone steps, are known to survive below ground (information from Mr Dawe, the owner). The east curtain wall, about 50m long with some putlog holes, retains some coping. At the south end it returns with an external coped buttress. The west wall, about 40m long, also retains some coping and seems to have been broken through at the south end to form an entrance to the farmyard. The chapel south wall retains 5 trefoil-headed lancet windows to the nave, deeply-splayed to the interior, and the remains of buttressing, 2 adjacent openings on the south side to the west, one probably an original doorway. The south side of the chancel has an opening, set surprisingly high in the wall for a doorway, and the remains of a lancet window, only the jambs and sill surviving. The east wall has a trefoil-headed lancet to the south, similar window to the north largely obscured by ivy and a ruinous window in the centre. A cusped holy water stoup survives on the south wall inside the former chapel. Bishop John de Grandisson (1327-69) refers to the buildings in his will.
This site has been described as a;
Palace.
The confidence
that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.
This site is a
Grade 2* listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 85677)
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX91517436
PastScape number;
447690
Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p549-51
Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p177
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p356
Journal Articles
- Laithwaite, M., Blaylock, S.R. and Westcott, R.A., 1989, 'The bishop's palace at Bishopsteighton' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol47 p53-69
Tapley-Soper, H., 1942-6, Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries Vol22 p78-80
Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
- Laithwaite, M., 1987, Devon County Council Archaeological Report
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*The listed building
may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site
of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
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