Woodford Court House

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Wodeford Episcopi; Bisshopwodford; Bishop Woodford

In the civil parish of Woodford.
In the historic county of Wiltshire (Modern Authority of Wiltshire, 1974 county of Wiltshire).

A house dating to C15 or C16 and originating as the Court House for the Bishop of Salisbury's manor. The south east range is the oldest part of the house with the north west range added circa 1830-1840. It is built of rendered brick with a slate roof, extended to north with flint and brick chequerwork on one bay, separately roofed. It has two storeys. A little to the east of the house is the site of a small medieval building, possibly a chapel, which was in a ruinous state and demolished in 1875. licensed in 1337 and licence ratified in 1377. Leland writes 'Bishop Shaxton pulled it down because it was already somewhat in ruins.'

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

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1337 Aug 30.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1377 July 20.

This site is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 321568)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU12623532

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; 1074419

Books

Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p627-9, 695
Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p167, 168, 184
Crittal, Eliz. (ed), 1962, 'Woodford' VCH Wiltshire Vol6 p221-7 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41813
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p411

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 (1334-38) p498
Calendar of Patent Rolls (1377-81) p9, 10

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

Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p495

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant

The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations.

It is an offence to disturb a Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation.

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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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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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