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Summary

Fragmentary remains of a substantial wall in grounds of Bishop's Palace, possibly part of a tower or gatehouse.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1008679: Bishop's Palace

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87NE/1/3
• 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.

About 40m north east of vaulted building A are free-standing remains of outer wall of a building surviving to c2.4m high, 4.2m long. Substantial rectangular offset bonded into internal west face, with remains of a window to north side.

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

Parker, R. W., 1999, Archaeological Recording at Palace Farm, Chudleigh, 9-10,iv (Report - Survey). SDV336345.

Building C, c55m north of Building B and 50m north east of Building A, in the grounds of the Bishop's Palace, consists of a fragment of walling located in a paddock at a considerable distance from the other ruins. It appears to be a piece of gable wall with part of a deep recess (probably a fireplace) at its north east end. It is about 1.83m thick, the recess being about 0.92m deep. Both the recess and the wall-face adjoining it on the south west retain traces of plaster; the edge of the recess has been robbed out, probably because it contained moulded masonry. This building building stands several metres high, but the masonry is so densely covered in ivy that it can barely be seen. Elevation drawings of any accuracy were impossible without removing the ivy, and thus the plan alone is described here. The ruin consists of a section of wall 1.75m thick and 3m long. It is truncated at its south west end where a modern track crosses the site, but at its north east end it terminates with a dressed masonry face containing at least one putlog hole. The north corner appears to have had a moulded stone dressing (now removed) and may have formed the jamb of an opening. Projecting from the north east face for 0.75m is a narrower wall 0.75m thick. This is offset by 1m from the north comer of the building, forming the recess described by Laithwaite. Building C is aligned roughly north easte, on an alignment roughly parallel to that of the wall stub projecting from the east end of building B. This may suggest that the 2 structures were linked by a wall, by other buildings or by a boundary which influenced the alignment of both. Nothing now survives above ground between the two structures, but the alignment is clearly reflected in a series of linear earthworks covering the east part of the site.
The remains of Building C are so fragmentary, and so far distant from the other structures that it is impossible to identify this structure or understand its relationship to the other palace buildings. The surviving section of wall is surprisingly thick, and therefore may have supported a tall building (such as a tower) or a heavy building (such as a barrel vaulted structure). It is possible that this was part of a gatehouse, or a bell tower associated with the chapel. The burials mentioned by Jones were uncovered 'in the east comer of the orchard when the road to the quarry was recently widened' (see Jones 1852, 61). This description might well refer to the land in proximity to Building C.

Parker, R. + Allan, J. + Fletcher, M. + Higham, R. + Laithwaite, M., 2006, The Bishop's Palace at Chudleigh, 218-9 (Article in Serial). SDV338151.

Isolated baulk of walling standing several metres high. Features difficult to ascertain due to dense covering of ivy, alhtough the splay of a small ground floor window is visible on the south western side.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4200 - Archaeological Projects at the Bishops Palace at Chudleigh

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