Evercreech Bishops Palace

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

The Bishops of Bath and Wells held the manor of Evercreech from at least C11 to 1548 when it was sold. Judging by the documentary evidence there was a manor house at Evercreech from C14 and later evidence refers to several buildings with a chapel. Leland describes the site in 1545 as "demolished completely" by the previous bishop (Clerk). The location is problematic. Leland's description of the building in Evercreech and comparision with other sites would suggest a location by the church but Collinson states that it lay in Evercreech Park near to the later house. In the village is an area known as "Priors Hill" which may be the site but is associated with a hospital.

This site has been described as a;
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST630387

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

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 35966, 35967

• Web site links
  • http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=35966
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p673
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p170
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p415
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p294
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)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