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Summary

Remains of a vaulted structure adjoining a small courtyard in grounds of Bishop's Palace.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1008679: Bishop's Palace

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87NE/1/2
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)
• Old SAM County Ref: 297
• Old SAM Ref: 24838

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ECCLESIASTICAL BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of National Heritage, Bishop's Palace, Chudleigh: Inspector's Report (Un-published). SDV340551.

Jones, M., 1852, The History of Chudleigh (Monograph). SDV338020.

Ancient Monuments, 1953, Chudleigh, Bishops' Palace (Schedule Document). SDV340550.

Laithwaite, J. M., 1987, The Bishop's Palace at Chudleigh, 7 (Report - Survey). SDV338012.

Gibbons, P., 1993, Bishop's Palace, Chudleigh (Un-published). SDV338010.

Circa 42m south east of vaulted building A are free-standing remains of the south end of a building of at least 9.5m width, terraced into the ground to the south. Part of south wall survives to c 3.8m. The remains of a triangular coping indicate that the east half was not roofed. The east wall was lower, with an arched opening near the wall corner. In the west half are the remains of a vault 2.95m wide, separated from the courtyard by a wall. Length of building uncertain, but an earthwork platform extends for 18m to north.

Department of National Heritage, 1996, Bishop's Palace (Schedule Document). SDV340552.

Parker, R. W., 1999, Archaeological Recording at Palace Farm, Chudleigh, 8, 10, iii (Report - Survey). SDV336345.

Building B, 42m to the south of Building A in the grounds of the Bishop's Palace, is part of a windowless southern wall, with the return of the east wall just surviving; it is about (0.76m) thick. There is also the footing of what appears to be the return of another wall on the west, but since this abuts the remnants of plaster on the south wall (which must have continued further west) it is almost certainly a later addition. The building platform, sloping downhill slightly, is clearly discernible, though it is not easy to estimate its original extent.
The English Heritage inspector's report states that: 'the remains of building B lie some 42m to the south east of building A. These ruins consist of a wall 5m long and 0.63m thick, bonded with pink/white lime mortar. The wall is aligned east-west and survives to its full height of 4m, with the remains of a triangular stone coping at its summit. It has been truncated to the west, but at its east end it terminates with a proper dressed face aligned at an angle of 278' to the south face of the wall. This may represent one side of a splayed opening (possibly a doorway or window); alternatively the wall may simply have turned a comer and proceeded north, which seems more likely given the pattern of the earthworks in this area. The rear or south elevation of the wall is entirely concealed by ivy, but the north elevation is relatively clear, retaining two putlog holes and large areas of render. At each end of the wall, traces of wall scars provide evidence for walls projecting to the north.
The west wall scar survives to the full height of building B, but the projecting wall itself has been reduced almost to ground level. This wall is of two phases; the upper part being, crude rubble masonry bonded with grey/white lime mortar which butts against and overlies the earlier fabric. The earlier wall below is approximately lm thick, and is aligned at right-angles to the main build. It appears to have formed the east wall of a building extending to the north and west of building B. No evidence of north or west walls are visible above ground, and consequently the full extent of this building is not known. The height of the wall scar and the thickness of the projecting wall suggest that it was a substantial structure several storeys high. At the east end of the building the ground floor consisted of a room 3m wide covered with a shallow, pointed barrel vault. The profile of the vault can be clearly discerned on the south wall of the room, which survives to a height of 0.75m and retains plaster which is probably medieval. The vault itself has collapsed and filled the room to within 0.35m of the former crown of the vault. The original floor level within the room must have been at least 2m below the existing ground level, and it is likely that much of the ground floor of this part of the palace is buried to a similar depth. The east wall scar also rises to the full height of the wall, and retains fragments of a wall projecting to the north, aligned roughly north east at an angle to the main build. This wall 0.83m thick and appears to have been pierced by a doorway or window. A fragment of an arched springer survives about 1m above existing ground level, and below this the jamb of the opening can also be identified. The jamb is not splayed, which suggests that this was a doorway rather than a window. The stone dressings have been removed, leaving a ragged scar on the east face of the wall; thus it is clear that the door would have opened towards the west. The coping on the top of the main build seems to imply that this area was not roofed, and it is possible that the walls enclosed a small walled court or yard at the east end of the vaulted structure. The greater part of the doorway is buried, and medieval floor levels in this area are likely to be well over a metre below the modem ground level'.
The remains of building B are difficult to interpret. The ruins stand at a considerable distance from building A, and it is uncertain whether they formed a detached structure or were linked with the other buildings. Earthworks nearby seem to suggest that the palace buildings extended both south and north of the building and, if the medieval floors in this area were level with the floor of the vault, the remains may lie buried to some depth in the levelled area to the west also. Jones regarded building B to have been a chapel.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Development at 6 The Square, Chudleigh, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV338022.

Parker, R. + Allan, J. + Fletcher, M. + Higham, R. + Laithwaite, M., 2006, The Bishop's Palace at Chudleigh, 217-8 (Article in Serial). SDV338151.

Building B comprises the boundary wall of a courtyard with an adjacent vaulted room, now infilled. A building platform extending to the north of this suggests the former presence of a range of rooms. See article for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4200 - Archaeological Projects at the Bishops Palace at Chudleigh

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