Cheddar Palace

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Ceddre

In the civil parish of Cheddar.
In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Somerset, 1974 county of Somerset).

Royal palace at Cheddar known to have existed from the mid C10 to the early C13 when it was given to the Dean and Chapter of Wells. Licence to crenellate granted in 1264. Ruins of a chapel dedicated to St Columbanus survive. Excavations in 1960-62 found this was the latest of three chapels, the earliest dated to C10 and was replaced in C11 and rebuilt in the late C13 or early C14. The chapel was converted into a house during tC17 and remained in use until the early C20. The earliest chapel overlay a Long Hall which was associated with two buildings to the west and southwest. This hall was replaced by the West Hall duringC10. It was rebuilt in C11 and C12. Another hall, East Hall was built to the east of the west hall in C12. This was rebuilt in C13 and C14.

This site has been described as a;
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1264 Feb 23.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 268795)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST45745315

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 194633

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 11442

• Web site links
  • http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=11442
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p673
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p19-21, 23, 117-8 [plan]
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p170
    Rahtz, P., 1979, The Saxon and Medieval Palaces at Cheddar (Oxford; BAR British series 65)
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works, vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London) p907-9 [plan]
• Journal Articles
  • Blair, J., 1997, 'Palaces or Minsters? Northampton and Cheddar reconsidered.' Anglo Saxon England Vol25
    Croft, R.A., 1988, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol132 p221
    Rahtz, P. and Hirst, S.M., 1987, 'The chapel of St Columbanus at Cheddar' Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol131 p157-170
    Rahtz, P., 1964, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol108 p99-112
    1962-3, Medieval Archaeology Vol6-7 p53-66
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1258-66) p382
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1217-25) p124-5
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Payne, N., 1999, "The residences of the medieval Bishops of Bath and Wells" unpubl MA dissertation, Bristol