Remains Of Bishops Palace At Palace Farmhouse

The remains of Bishop's Palace are located at Palace Farm in Chudleigh and date back to the medieval period. The structure is built from local grey limestone rubble and is partly covered with corrugated iron supported by trusses dating from the 1950s. The site is scheduled, indicating that there are likely extensive remains underground.

The most significant above-ground remains include a partly two-storey block that features walling, which continues as the west boundary wall of the garden in front of Palace Farm. This block has two vaults at ground floor level, one with a rounded arch and the other with a pointed arch. At the north end, these vaults are complemented by a section of wall that likely was once external, featuring a well-finished plinth that rises at the west end. This wall contains a blocked, deeply-splayed arched window and remnants of a stone newel stair. To the north of this wall, a second section extends as the garden boundary wall and includes several deeply splayed slit windows, most of which are blocked.

The relationship between the visible remains and potential underground structures is still uncertain. The Bishop of Exeter chose a site in Chudleigh for a rural palace as early as 1080, with ownership confirmed in a charter from Bishop Bartholomew, who served from 1165 to 1184. In 1550, Bishop Veysey was forced to sell the properties and rights associated with Chudleigh, leading to their dispersal into secular ownership. The above-ground remains are part of a site of significant historical and archaeological interest.