Bath Bishops Palace

In the civil parish of Bath.
In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Bath and North East Somerset, 1974 county of Avon).

Bishop's palace constructed during late C11/early C12 for the Bishops of Bath who occupied the site until transfering to Wells after about 1290. The buildings declined thereafter and were demolished during late C16. Leland in 1542 refers to the palace in the south west corner of the Cathedral Close, and excavations in 1964, 1971 and 1984-5 uncovered substantial stone buildings. Documentary and topographic evidence suggests these were remains of the Bishop's Palace, although an alternative function has been suggested.

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.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST75116473

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; 204244

Books

Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p673
Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p169
Davenport, P., 1991, Archaeology in Bath 1976-85 p40-103
Davenport, P., 1988, Bath History Vol2 p16-17

Journal Articles

Chapman, M., Davenport, P. and Holland, E., 1995, 'The precincts of the bishop's palace at Bath' Archaeological Journal Vol152 p95-109
1986, Medieval Archaeology Vol30 p119
Davenport, P., 1985 Aug, Popular Archaeology p25, 26, 28

Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)

Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p409

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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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