More information : Court Farm - remains of EPISCOPAL PALACE [G.T.] (1)
[SS 56593007] "Farmhouse N [?S] of the church said to have been
a residence of the Bishops of Exeter. It incorporates late medieval
parts, but was castillated and, it seems, generally tidied up
c.1800. (2)
The Manor of BISHOP'S TAWTON was the original Bishop's See which
the second bishop removed to Crediton. The bishops had a palace
here many centuries after the see was removed. Some ruins of it are
still to be seen
In the churchyard are the ruins of an ancient building, called the
DEANERY, belonging to the Dean of Exeter. (3)
"Rejecting the assertion of HOKER, that the Bishops of Devonshire
had ever fixed their see at Bishop's Tawton as entirely void of
historic authority"...the manor formed part of the endowment of the
See first established at Crediton in 910. "Some small remains of
their ancient palace are still visible on the south side of the
parish cemetery". In it was a chapel mentioned 25 Nov 1321. (4)
The farmhouse, which is in a good state of preservation and is
still occupied, has roughly built walls of stone. Two square
towers in the south and one in the NW with the upper approx 1.0m in
brick appear otherwise to be original and show traces of sandstone
quoining. The steeply pitched roof has modern slates and the
majority of windows are of sash type. One window in the south wall
is of ecclesiastical type in probably modern ashlar work.
The masonry of the attached outbuildings is similar to that of the
house.
No trace of a ruined building was found in the churchyard. The
parish has no resident rector.
Now known as 'Court Farm' and owned and occupied by E. WALDRON.
The majority of the building is believed to be the remains of the
EPISCOPAL. PALACE. (5)
Court Farm. The farmhouse is as described. (6)
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