Ruins Of Bishop'S Palace At Ash Hill Farm

BISHOPSTEIGNTON SX 07 SW

10/14 Ruins of Bishop's Palace at Ash Hill Farm 23.8.55 II*

Parts of curtain walls and remains of chapel. Probably early C14. Red sandstone and brecchia rubble, neatly dressed with some evidence of render on the curtain walling ; chapel dressings a yellowish stone, possibly Salcombe Regis. The site is described in detail by Michael Laithwaite in a Devon County Council Archaeological Report. Plan: A stretch of tall wall to the east of the site and a second section approximately 100 metres to the west appear to indicate the width of the enclosing walls of the site ; a recently exposed lower section of wall to the north may be the remains of the north enclosing wall. The chapel remains consist of a tall south wall and east wall with cusped lancet windows. There are several farmbuildings on the site and the west curtain wall is within a cattle shed. Although the site has been extensively robbed for building material the surviving remains above ground are of major interest and features, including a flight of stone steps, are known to survive below ground (information from Mr Dawe, the owner). The east curtain wall, about 50 metres long with some putlog holes, retains some coping. At the south end it returns with an external coped buttress. The west wall, about 40 metres long, also retains some coping and seems to have been broken through at the south end to form an entrance to the farmyard. The chapel south wall retains 5 trefoil-headed lancet windows to the nave, deeply-splayed to the interior, and the remains of buttressing, 2 adjacent openings on the south side to the west, one probably an original doorway. The south side of the chancel has an opening, set surprisingly high in the wall for a doorway, and the remains of a lancet window, only the jambs and sill surviving. The east wall has a trefoil-headed lancet to the south, similar window to the north largely obscured by ivy and a ruinous window in the centre. A cusped holy water stoup survives on the south wall inside the former chapel. Bishop John de Grandisson (1327-69) refers to the buildings in his will (Laithwaite).

Laithwaite, M., Devon County Council Archaeological Report (1987).

Listing NGR: SX9151074346