More information : The Bishop of Norwich had a palace here, (in Eccles) up
to the dissolution. "The palace is now quite ruinated, the motes,
foundations etc, may be seem in the Low-Meadows, about a furlong
or more SE of the church (St Mary's)". (1)
A series of ditches and low platforms at (TM 024889) may well
indicate the palace site. (2)
Blomfield's siting of the Palace places it in a field centred to
TM 021892: now reclaimed parkland and at present under plough.
There are no surface remains such as he describes and extensive
perambulation revealed only normal modern field debris.
The 'earthworks' noted on air photographs at TM 024889 (authy 2)
comprise modern drainage channels; confirmed by (a).
The field name 'Low Meadows' is not known locally although it
suits the topographic situation of either of the above noted
areas.
Mr Pilgrim (b) of Bishop's Farm (formerly Church Farm) states
"... the farm is traditionally the site of the Palace...",
although this conflicts with Blomfield's siting being 150m North
of the church (ie in the opposite direction). He adds that
"repeated ploughing of the field" (centred TM 020894) "has
revealed quantities of flint and much brick building debris"; the
indicated field is now under crop with no surface indications of
an early building.
The Tithe map/Apportionment has not been researched. A local
church history within St. Marys notes a 'Bishops Palace here' but
makes no further reference.
The above would tend to indicate that the Palace was situate in a
general area to the east of the church and south of Bishop's
Farm, centred circa TM 020893; but neither ground nor air
photographic evidence could produce a more precise site. (3-5)
Site of Bishops Palace appears to extend into field to west (TM 02468094). A series of mostly incomplete ditched enclosures, one in particular extending north into lower lying carr. A 7 x 28m pond-like depression exists in the NW corner of this enclosure, and tile and brick fragments, and one pot sherd were noted on the undulating interior of the enclosure. Ditches generally 0.3m - 0.5m deep and variable width. A causeway extends from the west towards a possible entrance to this enclosure. (6) |