Minster Lovell Manor

In the civil parish of Minster Lovell.
In the historic county of Oxfordshire (Modern Authority of Oxfordshire, 1974 county of Oxfordshire).

Minster Lovell Hall was built circa 1431-42 by William, 7th Lord Lovell, who incorporated parts of an earlier building. It came into Royal hands in 1485 although never seems to have been used as a royal residence. In circa 1747 the house was dismantled by Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester. The ruins were used as farm buildings until restored by the Ministry of Works during the 1930s. The house was built round three sides of a courtyard; the fourth side faced the river and was enclosed by a buttressed wall. In the central block on the north were the great hall, chapel, and solar, with a large two-storey building adjoining it to the west. Running south from this were five rooms with a tower at the southwest corner. In the east wing were the kitchens, bakehouse and stables. The principal remains are the hall and rooms in the north wing. With the exception of the tower, only the foundations survive of the east and west ranges.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 253667)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP32471139

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; 334823

• Web site links
  • http://www.ecastles.co.uk/lovell.html
    http://www.cotswoldswebsite.com/minster-lovell-hall.htm
    http://www.oxfordshirepast.net/ml_man.html
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p117-21 [plan]
    Elliot, Julia (ed), 2005, Heritage Unlocked; Guide to free sites in London and the South East (English Heritage) p100-3
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press) p10
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby) p164
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works, vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p164
    Pevsner, N. and Sherwood, J., 1974, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire (London) p707-10
• Journal Articles
  • Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p234
• Guidebooks
  • Taylor, A.J., 1990, Minster Lovell Hall, Oxfordshire (London; English Heritage)
    Taylor, A.J., 1985, Minster Lovell Hall (English Heritage)
    Taylor, A.J., 1958 (2edn), Minster Lovell Hall, Oxfordshire (HMSO)
    Taylor, A.J., 1939, Minster Lovell Hall, Oxfordshire (HMSO)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/gloceng.html#oxon3]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p373
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • 'Minster Lovell' (unpublished draft text for Victoria History of Oxfordshire, 2002)