More information : (SC 32859327) Bishop's Court (NAT) Tower (NR) (1)
Bishopscourt is the residence of the Bishop of Sodor and Man and was possibly founded by Bishop Simon who died in 1247. The oldest portionof the present building is the Medieval tower which probably dates from the second half of the 14th century and may be ascribed to Bishop Duncan. It was built as a fortified homestead as protection against the persistent Scottish raidings of the time. By the 17th century a late Medieval chapel had been added to the east of the tower and a hall to the west. Major additions and alterations were made by Bishops Wilson (about 1700), Crigan (about 1790) Murray (1814) and Powys (about 1858) (see Plan).
During the English Civil War, the see was vacant, and the Earl of Derby occupied Bishopscourt and refortified it, probably between 1648 and 1651. This took the form of a large, rectangular, earth fort about 500 feet long and 300 feet wide, with rampart, ditch and glacis with bastions at each corner. The gate was probably in the middle of the south-west side and protected by an earth bulwark or hornwork. The fort was captured by the Parliamentarian in 1651, and reverted to the Bishop after the Restoration. About half of the earthwork survives -see plan. (2 - 4)
The tower is a concrete-faced, rectangular, castellated portion of an otherwise unfaced, stone-built, well preserved castellated dwelling which bears no external feature of dateable antiquity. The tower measures 11.0m by 9.3m.
The moat is an average of 6.3m wide and 1.2m deep and is dry. Along its inner north-west and north-east sides is a low spread bank. (5)
Bishopscourt, together with contiguous buildings. (6)
Listed by Cathcart King. (7) |