Bishops Manor |
| Hob Uid: 349523 | |
Location :
Lincolnshire
West Lindsey
Nettleham
|
| Grid Ref : TF0063075140 |
| Summary : The earthwork and buried remains of the bishop's palace complex and its associated features, together with the buried remains of the early medieval manor house which preceded it. The bishop's palace was established at Nettleham at the beginning of the 12th century. The remains of the palace overlie those of a manor house in royal ownership which was granted to Bishop Bloet by Henry I in 1101. In 1336 Bishop Burghersh was granted a licence to crenellate the house and to surround it with a stone wall. The house was damaged during the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, but was not finally deserted until later in the century. The buildings were partly dismantled in the early 17th century to provide materials for works to the bishop's palace in Lincoln, and by the later 18th century no buildings remained standing. The remains of the palace complex take the form of a series of substantial earthworks, up to 2 metres in height, arranged in terraces on a north-facing slope. The remains of the principal buildings of the palace are located in the north eastern part of the monument, where the earth-covered remains of stone walls represent a series of ranges which included private chambers for the accommodation of the bishop and his royal guests, a chapel, offices, a kitchen and stables. The palace gardens are believed to have been laid out in the mid-14th century. They include the remains of paths and flowerbeds arranged in rectangular blocks. Archaeological excavation in the area of the garden has revealed the remains of a manor house which stood on the site before the 12th century. The central part of the monument takes the form of a broad terrace which represents the earth-covered remains of a stone wall which formed the southern boundary of the palace complex; the building remains at its centre represent the principal gatehouse of the palace. |
More information : [Area centred: TF 00637514] Bishop's Palace [G.T.] (Site of). (1)
There was a manor-house on the site of the bishop's manor, Nettleham, in Saxon times, owned by Edith, wife of Edward the Confessor, and it may have been the homestead of Eadric, Earl of Mercia. A Saxon hearth and other remains, including 8th - 11th century loom-weights [at TF 0048 7520] and 12th century pottery [at TF 0053 7525 (3)] were found in 1935 (2).
In 1336 Bishop Burghersh was given licence to crenellate his manor house of Nettleham (4).
Part of the bishop's manor site was excavated for the Ministry of
Works in 1959. Remains of wall foundations, a well 14 ft deep a
little charcoal and pottery were seen. (5)
Bishop's Manor, scheduled ancient monument. (6)
[See Illustrations Card.] (2-7)
Extensive earthworks occupy this site. Resurveyed at 1:2500. Lincoln Museum have no material from the excavation. (8)
The earthworks of the Bishop's Palace described by authority 8 were mapped from good quality air photographs. (Morph No. LI.544.7.1). The earthworks were also surveyed by RCHME's field section. The results of this survey are available in the NMR Archive and an extensive description of the site is published.
(9-9a) |