Bishop'S Palace Bishop'S Palace (The Palace School)

Bishop's Palace (The Palace School)

Bishop's Palace stands on the south side of Palace Green to the west of the Cathedral. It was originally built in the 15th century by Bishop Alcock (1486-1501). Only the east tower and the lower part of the west tower survive from Alcock's construction. The upper part of the west tower and the west wing facing Palace Green were built by Bishop Goodrich in 1550. The recessed centre section and the block facing south towards the garden were built by Bishop Laney (1667-75), who demolished much of Bishop Goodrich's palace. In 1771, Bishop Keen remodelled the interior and added a central staircase wing on the south front.

The east tower is a large square brick building with blue brick diapering and stone dressings. It has a parapet with a moulded stone string course, a plinth with moulded stone capping, and corner buttresses with 3 offsets. On the west side is an octagonal staircase turret containing a stone spiral staircase. The tower is 4 storeys tall with a 2-window range on the north front and a 1-window range on the east and west fronts. The windows are 2-light stone-dressed mullioned windows with arched lights and rectangular hood moulds. Moulded stone string courses run between the storeys. Between the windows on the first storey is a tripartite niche with carved stone hoods and sills. On the second and third storeys are square stone panels carved with angel figures. The ground storey originally had a central gateway passage with elaborate lierne vaulting and richly carved bosses; the central boss bears the arms of Bishop Alcock.

Bishop Goodrich's west tower balances the earlier east tower and is of similar design but without blue brick diapering and carved stonework. Its octagonal staircase tower contains a wood staircase.

The west wing, known as Alcock's Gallery, is 2 storeys with a parapet and moulded stone string course. The first storey has a 6-window range of stone mullioned and transomed windows with arched upper lights and rectangular hood moulds. The central window is an oriel bay bearing the arms of Edward VI.

Bishop Laney's south block is 2 storeys with attics and short wings joining the main block to the towers, forming a forecourt. The north front has a parapet and cornice. The ground storey features Ionic pilasters and a cornice. The centre part, a 1-window range, breaks forward slightly and has open scrolls above the doorway. The overall front has a 5-window range with a 1-window range on the return wings. The first storey windows are wood mullioned and transomed casements in stone architraves; the ground storey windows are stone-dressed with stone mullions, arched lights, and rectangular hood moulds. The doorway has Ionic columns and a semi-circular arched hood.

The east wing, facing the Gallery, has a 4-window range. The south front has a 4:1:4 window range of double-hung sashes with glazing bars in cased frames and stone architraves. A raised stone band runs between the storeys. The centre part breaks forward with stone quoins and a Venetian window on the first storey.

The roofs are tiled, hipped, with gabled dormers.

Bishop's Palace forms a group with The Chantry, its walls and gate, No 3 Palace Green with its wall and railings, The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), the Queen's Hall (Headmaster's House), the Wall to the Garden of the Bishop's residence, the Guest Quarters of the Monastery with their walls, Ely Porta, the Prior's House (Boarding House of the King's School), Prior Crauden's Chapel with walls to its garden, the Barn and Storehouse of the monastery with its wall, and Nos 2 to 8 (consecutive) and No 9 (stables to Bishop's Palace), and The Gallery.