Bishops Palace Walls And Tower

PAIGNTON

SX8860 PALACE PLACE 1947-1/5/70 (South side) 13/03/51 Bishop's Palace walls and tower (Formerly Listed as: PALACE PLACE "Bible Tower" and remains of Bishop's Palace)

GV II*

Includes: Bishop's Palace walls and tower COVERDALE ROAD. Includes: Bishop's Palace walls and tower BISHOPS PLACE. Walls to Bishop's Palace including corner tower. Probably C14. MATERIALS: Local red breccia; tower roofed with lead. PLAN: Tall walls surround the precinct which is now occupied by the vicarage and its gardens. An internal corner tower occupies the SE corner of the enclosure. The Tower Road elevation of the wall has a section of rebuilding incorporating a 2-centred arched doorway. EXTERIOR: Walls are tall with coped merlons with embrasures, some slits, and pudlock holes. The 4-stage tapering tower has an embattled parapet above a moulded string. On the face fronting Bishop's Place is a small 2-centred doorway, the first stage has a 2-light window with ogival heads to the lights. The 2nd-floor window has 2 trefoil-headed lights below a blind plate. Similar windows to other elevations. West face, inside the vicar's garden, has a 2-centred doorway. INTERIOR: All the floors and the stair appear to be C20. Segmental-arched joists support a lead covering to the roof. HISTORY: The Bishop's Palace was transferred from Bishop Veysey to Sir Thomas Speke in 1549. In the C19 it was owned by a Colonel Ridgway, who exposed the foundations of old buildings - "numerous coins and other interesting objects were found during the excavation of the ground" (Couldrey). The site inside the enclosure is obviously of considerable archaeological interest. (Transactions of the Devonshire Association, Vol.64: Couldrey WG: Memories and Antiquities of Paignton: 1932-: 228; Buildings of England: Cherry B: Devon: London: 1952-1989: 841).

Listing NGR: SX8863060750