The Chancery

The Chancery is a house comprising a chancery and adjoining outbuildings, dating from the 13th, 14th, and late 15th centuries, with 16th and late 17th-century phases. It was altered in the early 18th century and again in the late 19th century. The rear range contains substantial remains of buildings erected during the time of Chancellor Antony Bek, 1321-1329. The street range and parlour wing were probably built by Chancellor Geoffrey Simeon, 1485-1506, and incorporate the arms of Bishop John Russell, 1480-94.

The building is constructed of dressed stone and coursed rubble with brick front and rear additions. The parlour wing is timber-framed with close studding and rendered nogging. It has plain tile and slate roofs with various brick stacks.

The exterior is L-plan, standing 2 and 3 storeys plus basements and attics. The front range comprises 4 bays with plinth, quoins, and string course, topped by single ridge and gable stacks. A symmetrical section to the left, 3 bays wide, features a central canted stone oriel window with 3 cross casements and crenellated parapet. On either side are renewed 3-light windows with stone mullions and hoodmoulds. Above are 3 smaller similar windows beneath 19th-century through-eaves dormers with coped gables. The basement has 4 openings with stone surrounds, the outer pair being larger. The entrance bay to the right has a 4-centred arched doorway with hoodmould and studded panelled double doors dating to around 1500, with above it a stone mullioned cross casement with hoodmould.

At the rear, in the return angle, stands the parlour wing, 2 storeys plus attics, single bay, jettied on three sides and restored in the early 20th century. To its right is a medieval solar with an early 19th-century brick front, 3 storeys high. Beyond, under a 3-bay loggia built in 1955, are 3 chamfered pointed arched doorways from the early 14th century, the central one restored in 1873, which formerly served as entrances to service rooms and staircase off the medieval hall. Beyond again are a former kitchen, 2 storeys and 2 bays, and former outbuildings, now converted to a house.

The interior contains on the first floor a Great Chamber in the front range with a moulded cross beam ceiling and bosses dating to around 1500, and early 18th-century moulded panelling, doorcases, and a fireplace with broken pediment. An enclosure in the south-east corner conceals a stone winder stair from around 1500 with a traceried 3-panel door opening into the entrance passage. The adjoining room to the north has early 18th-century wainscot and a bolection moulded fireplace. The front range retains a largely intact principal rafter roof of around 1500, 4 bays in span, with double purlins. At the rear of the great chamber, a landing features panelled doors in simply moulded surrounds, and a short staircase with heavy turned balusters and squared newels, all dating to the early 18th century. The parlour wing's first floor room contains a stone panelled fireplace lintel dating to around 1500, with an early 18th-century cornice and ceiling covering moulded joists. The ground floor has similar moulded joists and a dragon beam. The north range's ground floor dining room dates to around 1500 and retains 18th-century panelling and a resited mid 18th-century Classical fireplace. To the east, on the first floor, is a chapel from the 14th century, altered around 1500 and restored in the 19th century, featuring moulded joists, spine beam and boss, and a close studded west wall incorporating a screen with traceried unglazed lights and door. To the south-east is an ogee-headed piscina with bracket.

This building is significant as a surviving example of early 14th and late 15th-century domestic architecture and because of its early use of a brick front. In addition to serving as the official residence of high-ranking clergy, it was leased around 1381-1397 by Katharine Swinford.