Bishop's Manor and remains of Bishop's Palace

Bishop's Manor and remains of Bishop's Palace

Bishop's Manor is the official residence of the Bishop of Southwell. The site comprises the remains of the Bishop's Palace together with a house constructed in its former Great Hall.

The Bishop's Palace was probably built for Archbishop Alexander Neville and Archbishop Arundel between circa 1379 and 1396. It was rebuilt and extended for Archbishop John Kemp between 1426 and 1436, and extended again for Archbishop Rotherham around 1490. The palace was occupied in 1647 by the Scots Commissioners and was largely demolished thereafter.

The palace remains form roofless ruins enclosing a square courtyard, constructed of coursed squared rubble and ashlar with ashlar dressings. The structures feature chamfered plinths, quoins and string courses throughout.

The south side has four bays with square headed window openings on two floors and two square garderobe towers. The larger tower to the east contains a spiral stair and an unusual radial four-seat arrangement. To its left, in the angle, stands a corbelled stair turret, and further left, a restored external stack with an octagonal shaft. The inner face has a fireplace on each floor, the upper one with a moulded surround and two carved corbels.

The east side extends seven bays with mainly square headed openings on two floors. At each end is a gable with remains of a large traceried lancet window. Between them stands a near-central external stack, and to its right a garderobe tower. The inner face has a fireplace on each floor, the upper one with an elaborate arcaded lintel.

The lower north side comprises two bays with an off-centre stack and a simple fireplace on the inner face.

A restored three bay great chamber to the north west is constructed of ashlar with a plain tile roof, plinth, string course, and coped gables. To the west are diagonal buttresses. The west gable contains a double transomed four-light lancet with panel tracery. The north side has an off-centre external stack and to its left, two transomed double lancets with hood moulds and two gabled buttresses. Below are four square headed windows of various sizes. To the left stands a two storey porch from circa 1881, with a canted cross mullioned oriel window and below, a moulded round headed doorway. To the left again is a former private chapel, also circa 1881, built of coursed rubble and ashlar with a plain tile roof. It features a central lean-to projection flanked by single lancets, and at the east end, a squat segment headed five-light lancet.

A late 18th-century house was built within the former Great Hall. The State Chamber was restored for suffragan Bishop Edward Trollope in 1881. The State Chamber interior has an arch braced triple purlin roof with collars and wind braces, on angel corbels, some of which are medieval. The north side has a restored moulded fireplace with billeted frieze and a moulded arch with shafts to a bay window. The east end has a double chamfered 14th-century doorway on each side. The porch has moulded 14th-century style doorways and a 19th-century stone staircase.

Bishop's Manor itself was designed by W.D. Caröe in 1905, incorporating the 18th-century house and the west range of the former palace, executed in a vernacular revival style. It is roughcast and colourwashed with ashlar dressings and a hipped and gabled plain tile roof. The structure has a plinth, six side wall and two gable stacks, most with round shafts. Windows are mainly mullioned and cross mullioned casements with leaded glazing.

The irregular west entrance front is three storeys with eight windows. It features an off-centre three storey tower porch with diagonal buttresses and a segment headed doorway that covers the door to the screens passage of the original palace.

The south side has a two storey block to the left with three windows and a square two storey bay window on its left. A central moulded 14th-century doorway, formerly the kitchen access of the original palace, stands to its right. Beyond are two renewed double lancets with flat heads and hood moulds. The right portion is a higher block of two storeys plus attics with four cusped double lancets with flat heads. Above are three box dormers. Below is an off-centre door with overlights and side lights, flanked by single double lancets. To the left is a similar double lancet. These openings have linked hood moulds.

The rear elevation comprises the 18th-century house with three glazing bar sashes and above, four box dormers. Below are three round headed glazing bar sashes.

The interior of Bishop's Manor contains the triple arched opening to the pantry and buttery of the original palace, and fragments of the Great Hall west window.