Bishop's Court, Devon
| Bishop's Court | |
|---|---|
 The east front of Bishop's Court | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Country house, Bishop's palace |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Address | Bishop's Court Lane, Sowton, Devon |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50°43′04″N 3°26′42″W / 50.7178°N 3.44512°W |
| Completed | 13th century |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Heavitree stone |
Bishop's Court is a large English country house and former Bishop's palace in Sowton, Devon, near Exeter. It was built in the 13th century and is Grade I listed. It was a palace of the medieval bishops of Exeter from the 13th century to the 16th century.[1][2]
Architecture
[edit]The building is described by Pevsner as 'intensely Gothic' in style and is largely built of Heavitree stone.[2][1]
The house unwent rebuilding works in 1803, having been purchased by Admiral Lord Graves.[3] It then underwent further remodelling in 1860-4 by William White for the Garratt family, having come into the ownership of John Garratt, former Lord Mayor of London.[2]
The chapel contains a triptych by Nathaniel Westlake.[2]
The former stables were built in the early 16th century, also of Heavitree stone, and are Grade I listed.[4]
The former tithe barn is thought to have been built in the early 14th century and is also Grade I listed.[5]
History
[edit]Bishop's Court was acquired by the bishops of Exeter in 1265 and used by them until 1546.[1]
In 1549, Bishop John Vesey was induced to grant the Manor of Bishop's Clyst, along with the palace, to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford.[2]
Sir Thomas Fairfax used Bishop's Court as a garrison during the blockade of Exeter in 1645.[6]
By the 1950s, Bishop's Court was being used as a company headquarters.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1989). The buildings of England (2nd ed. extensively revised ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin books. ISBN 978-0-14-071050-2.
- ^ a b c d e f "BISHOP'S COURT, Sowton - 1097577 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "GRAVES, Thomas North, 2nd Baron Graves [I] (1775-1830), of Bishop's Court, nr. Exeter, Devon and Thanckes, Cornw. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "STABLE BLOCK ADJOINING TITHE BARN TO NORTH-NORTH-WEST, Sowton - 1333998 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "TITHE BARN 150 METRES SOUTH-EAST OF BISHOP'S COURT, Sowton - 1164637 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "Heritage Gateway - Results". www.heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
Books and journals
[edit]Eastlake, C, History of the Gothic Revival, (1970), 108
Eastlake, C, History of the Gothic Revival, (1970), 108
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: South Devon, (1952), 82
'Transactions of the Devonshire Association' in Transactions of the Devonshire Association, Vol. 98, (1966), 132-53
'Transactions of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural and Archaeological Society' in Transactions of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural and Archaeological Society, Vol. 4, (1929), 87-96
'Transactions of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural and Archaeological Society' in Transactions of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural and Archaeological Society, Vol. 4, (1929)