The Old Palace

This substantial building, formerly the Episcopal Palace and now Diocesan offices, displays a complex architectural history spanning more than five centuries. The core structure dates from around 1200 to 1235, with significant additions between about 1268 and 1302 undertaken for Bishop Godfrey Gifford, including the Abbot's Kitchen and Abbot's Hall. Further substantial alterations and additions occurred in the 1560s for Dr Edwin Sandys, who reused earlier materials and notably truncated and reoriented the medieval Chapel. Bishop Skinner embellished the building, particularly the Chapel, between about 1663 and 1670. The east facade received additions and alterations probably between 1719 and 1723 for Bishop John Hough, executed by architects William and Francis Smith of Tettenhall, Staffordshire. Extensive repairs for Dr James Johnson, including some rebuilding to the west facade, took place between about 1759 and 1774, followed by further alterations between 1781 and 1787 for Bishop Richard Hurd, including the addition of a bay window to the drawing room.

Materials and Construction

The main east facade is built of red sandstone ashlar with white sandstone ashlar dressings, including pilasters, architraves, floor bands, cornice, and copings. The building has pinkish-brown brick chimney stacks with ashlar cornices and pots, and a plain tile roof.

Plan and Setting

The plan is complex with irregular additions and floor levels reflecting its long building history. The Palace sits on a sloping site, so the rear west facade has an additional lower storey. At the north-west corner of this lower level stands the medieval Abbot's Kitchen, above which, at first-floor level, is the Great Hall. South of the former hall porch is the Chapel, originally running the full length of the hall but truncated during Dr Sandys's alterations so that only the chancel survives. Its liturgical axis was altered during this process, and the main window, now facing south, overlooks a small courtyard. A further courtyard lies north of the hall. The east facade, now the principal elevation, was regularized with an addition one room deep including a central hallway.

East (Main) Facade

The main facade presents two storeys (with an additional lower storey and attics to the rear), arranged as 4:3:4 first-floor windows. The central section breaks forward with end pilasters and a wide segmental pediment containing the arms of Bishop Hough. A cavetto-moulded cornice supports an embattled, coped parapet. The plinth has shaped, roll-edged copings forming a sill band to the ground-floor windows, with a double cavetto-moulded band at first-floor level.

The ground floor has six-over-six pane sash windows, while the first floor features mainly nine-over-six pane sashes. All sash windows are cambered-arched and set in moulded ashlar surrounds with stepped keystones; the first-floor windows have moulded sills and aprons. The central first-floor window is a circular oculus with radial glazing bars, tooled architrave, and four voussoirs.

The central entrance has double doors with eight raised-and-fielded panels, with two raised and fielded panels above and a plain fanlight. The doorway is set in a pilastered surround with cavetto-moulded architrave and keystone.

West (Rear) Facade

The rear elevation presents two and three storeys with attics across four irregular bays. From the south: the first bay is a canted two-storey structure whose ground floor is open with three round arches, within which is a trefoil-headed lancet. The first floor has three one-over-one sash windows with blind boxes.

The second bay rises two storeys with an attic and has one first-floor window. The ground floor features a flight of steps leading to a pointed-arched entrance with a plank door decorated with raised 'Y' moulding, followed by a two-cusped-light window with quatrefoil head and hoodmould. Above the first-floor band sits a window of five stepped trefoil-headed lancet lights with transoms and continuous hoodmould. The attic storey has a small lancet light with louvered cover.

The third bay breaks forward and rises three storeys with attics and three first-floor windows. It has a chamfered plinth and continuous sill bands at first and second floors. The ground and third floors have eight-over-eight pane sashes, the first floor six-over-six panes, all set in plain reveals with sills to ground and first floors. Three attic roof dormers contain casement windows. The right return of this bay has a ground-floor entrance with plank door and fanlight, and similar sash windows to the first and second floors.

The fourth bay is recessed: two storeys with an attic and two first-floor windows. The ground floor has two pointed lancets, the first floor half of a two-light window with geometrical tracery to the head, all with hoodmoulds. A gabled attic dormer has casement windows. An external stack rises on this facade, and the right end has an off-set buttress at the angle.

In the north courtyard stands a twelve-over-nine pane cambered-arched staircase window with thick ovolo glazing bars retaining much original glass. In the south internal courtyard is a five-light Perpendicular window.

Interior

Lower Ground Floor

The Abbot's Kitchen occupies the lower ground floor and features four bays of rib-vaulting. The ribs spring from corbels approximately 1.25 metres from the ground and form quatrepartite bays, with an added longitudinal ridge-rib displaying foliate bosses. A blocked pointed window to the east has two orders of roll-moulding and a hoodmould with face stops. A further opening has a pointed plank door with roll moulding. A tall lancet window in the west wall has deeply chamfered reveals. An inserted fireplace occupies the north wall, alongside a pointed doorway (partly blocked) and a further entrance with pointed plank door in the south wall, set in a double-chamfered pointed arched opening with hoodmould.

At the north-east corner, a 17th-century closed-string dogleg staircase provides access to the Great Hall, with shaped rod-on-vase balusters and shaped handrail. Further vaulted passages lead to the undercroft and cellar, containing additional medieval openings and walls.

Ground Floor

The central hallway contains a wide staircase with elaborately carved tread ends and three balusters per tread: a central barleytwist-on-vase between two rod-on-vase balusters. The shaped handrail has a slight wreath and the lowest step is curved and wider. The dado has raised and fielded panelling, and there is a moulded cornice.

A 17th-century dogleg staircase to the south has rod-on-vase balusters, ramped and shaped handrail, shallow wreath, and carved tread ends.

First Floor

A tall arch at the head of the main staircase gives access to a landing and, to the north, the Great Hall above the Abbot's Kitchen. The Great Hall has been much altered and now has a roof with ovolo-moulded beams on arched braces. At the east end stands a large Perpendicular doorway with a steep arch having two orders of continuous ovolo mouldings and a hoodmould. An early 17th-century chimneypiece with overmantel (removed during the late 18th century from one of the prebendal houses) displays strapwork to the overmantel and coats of arms, with allegorical female figures over caryatids. The dado is panelled.

The Chapel retains a trefoil-headed piscina and a five-light late Perpendicular window with stained glass probably dating from around 1800 in the south wall. The 17th-century panelling has a shaped dentil cornice; panelling behind the altar features Serlio-type decoration and fluted pilasters. An arch and canopied bishop's pew stand at the rear. The altar rails have onion-on-vase balusters. The roof has a panelled vault on carved corbels. The floor is laid with black and white marble tiles, with Minton tiles in the lobby.

To the south, the landing features a 17th-century pointed-arched door with lozenge decoration set in a pointed-arched surround with two orders of roll-moulding. A short flight of stairs to the west has barleytwist-on-vase balusters and shaped handrail, giving access to the former entrance to the Chapel.

Much original joinery survives throughout, including panelled shutters, six-panel doors, and eight-raised-and-fielded-panel doors, some with tooled architraves. Original plasterwork includes moulded cornices. One room on the ground floor at the south has a chamfered beam with ogee stop.

Historical Context

By the early 13th century a Bishop's house stood on the present site, of which at least two internal walls survive. The Bishop's Palace was sold to the Dean and Chapter of Worcester Cathedral in 1846 for £3,000 and remained as the Deanery until 1941. During the Second World War it was let to the Ministry of Works (1941 to 1950) and now serves as Diocesan offices.

The Palace has hosted three royal visits: in 1575 Elizabeth I, her Council, and Household stayed here; James II stayed for three nights in 1687; and George III and members of the royal family stayed in 1788.

Between 1719 and 1723 Bishop John Hough paid a total of £1,164 to William and Francis Smith for work at the Palace. This probably included the removal of a gatehouse, adjoining stables, bowling alley, and other buildings to the east of the Palace, with rebuilding of the eastern part. Their work represents a fine example of the Baroque tradition.