The Gatehouse. The comprehensive listing of medieval fortifications and castles in England and Wales.
Home | Books | Links | Fortifications and Castles | Other Information | Help | Downloads | Author Information | Contact

Beverley Manor of the Archbishop of York

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Watertowns; The Dings; Bishop Dings; Hall Garth

In the civil parish of Beverley.
In the historic county of Yorkshire East Riding (Modern Authority of East Riding of Yorkshire, 1974 county of Humberside).

Residential manor house of the Archbishops of York of which the last remnants destroyed in C19. Leland remarked on moats. The archbishop's base in Beverley was initially his hall in the market place. This stone building was known as the Dings or the Bishop Dings and was in existence by the 1160s. In 1282 the Dings was made over to the town by Archbishop Wickwane for an annual rent of 6s. 8d. By this date the archbishop had moved his Beverley residence to a moated site south of the minster, later known as Hall Garth. The archbishop's manor there was mentioned in 1280. In 1444 there was a reference to the archbishop's court being held in the great hall of the manor, and the archbishop's gaol was presumably also on the same site. Little is known about other buildings but surviving earthworks suggest that they may have been extensive. The archbishop's house there, or its predecessor in the market place, had a chapel, and in 1258 a chaplain was collated to the chapel of St. Swithin within the court of the archbishop at Beverley. An inventory of 1388 mentions only a hall and a kitchen. In 1980 excavation revealed the eastern abutment of a timber bridge, which spanned the moat near its north-western corner and may have supported lifting gear for a drawbridge; an early C14 date has been suggested. Work was under way on the manor in 1409-10, but by the 1530s the house had been abandoned and Leland described it as 'all in ruin'.

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 TA038389

Modern Map fromOrdnance Survey logo

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from streetmap logo

Good for general location

Sources of information, references and further reading
  • Books
  • Journal Articles
  • Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • 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.
    Please help me to make this as useful a resource as possible by contacting me if you see errors or if you can add information.
    I do acknowledge the help I get with this site.
    Go to Previous Record Go to Next Record Back to List
    This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

    Home | Books | Links | Fortifications and Castles | Other Information | Help | Downloads | Author Information | Contact
    ¤¤¤¤¤