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BISHOP RUFUS PALACE

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Site of motte and bailey castle and an adjacent fortified palace of the Bishops of Durham. The first record of the castle at Northallerton is in 1130 when Bishop Rufus built the motte and bailey as a residence. The castle was either rebuilt or enlarged in 1142 by Bishop Cumin and further work was carried out by Bishop Pudsey in 1174. By 1176 the castle had been razed to the ground on the orders of King Henry II. After this a more substantial fortified palace surrounded by a moat was built to replace the traditional motte and bailey castle. The palace was in use by 1199. Renovation work was carried out in 1226, 1292 and 1309. There is a reference in the early 14th century to a pele tower being built at the palace. The palace was an important centre for the administration of the bishops' lands in Yorkshire and served as a major residence for the bishops and their staff. The palace lay on the main road from York to Durham and was a regular stopping place for royalty and other dignitaries. Described by Leland in good condition circa 1535-43. It was a ruin by 1658. The site is now a cemetery.

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[SE 36549398] BISHOP'S PALACE [LB] (Site of). (1)

In the 14th c. the Bishop of Durham built a palace, protected with a moat and rampart, at Northallerton, out of the ruins of the Castle which had been dismantled temp Henry II. (2)

Apart from the moat, there are no remains of the Bishop's Palace, and the site is covered by a modern cemetery.

The 'dismantled castle' consists of a mutilated and partially levelled motte and bailey incorporated in the SW side of the moat.

The remains suggest, either that the motte had two baileys and that the palace was built within the larger, or, more probably, that the smaller bailey at SE 36449387 was the original bailey to the disused motte. (3)

An adulterine castle at Northallerton built by Bishop Hugh Pudsey in 1174 was surrendered, and dismantled in 1176. (This structure is referred to by Hoveden as the new castle, or 'castellum novum', which suggests that the Palace site is more probable than the earlier castle site at Castle Hills - SE 39 SE 1). The right to build a further castle was purchased by Pudsey from Richard I, probably in 1189 when he also bought the earldom of Northumberland, and it was apparently completed by 1195. Material from it is supposed to have been used in the erection of the episcopal palace or manor house on the same site, probably with the lowering and abandonment of the motte, which would produce a 'typical Medieval moated manor house'. In 1314 a peel was constructed within the Bishop's manor. Described by Leland (circa 1535-43) as "strong of building and well motid", it was a ruin in 1658 and stone from it was used for building in the town in 1663. The building had gone by 1791 and the site was laid out as a cemetery in 1856, the moat remaining. Renn mentions it as a motte and bailey with counterscarp bank. (4-8)

SE 365 940. Bishop Rufus' Palace. Scheduled No NY/480. (9)

Listed by Cathcart King (10).

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1957

( 2) General reference

The Early History of the North Riding, 1924 (W. Edwards) Page(s)130

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 DS 11-APR-67

( 4) General reference

Hist & Topography of York NR 2 1859 (T Whellan) Page(s)80-1

( 5) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

(W M I'Anson) 22 - 1913 Page(s)368-9

( 6) edited by William Page 1914 The Victoria history of the county of York, North Riding, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England 1914 Page(s)418-9

( 7) by Derek Renn 1973 Norman castles in Britain

1973 Page(s)258

( 8) General reference

Annals of Roger De Hoveden 1 1853 (H T Riley) Page(s)383

(9) English Heritage 1995 County list of Scheduled Monuments : March 1994

Page(s)15

(10) David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands

2 - 1983 Page(s)522

(11) Scheduled Monument Notification

Schedule revised 05-Jul-2002

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Monument Name/No

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BISHOPS PALACE CEMETERY
NORTHALLERTON

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The cemetery was opened in 1856, the southern half was consecrated for use by the church of England and the northern half was used by Non-conformists....

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