Ledbury Bishops Palace

Has been described as a Possible Palace (Bishop)

There are no visible remains

NameLedbury Bishops Palace
Alternative Names
Historic CountryHerefordshire
Modern AuthorityHerefordshire
1974 AuthorityHereford and Worcester
Civil ParishLedbury

The Bishops Palace stood on the S side of the church, but no remains now remain. Attached to palace, Denizen Park (Robinson, 1872). By 1120 the Bishops of Hereford are formally lords of the manor of Ledbury with a manor house S of the churchyard, probably where Ledbury Park now stands. c1356 gave up their manor house, in ruins by the mid 1500s (Robinson, 1982). When Leland made his tour of England between 1534 and 1543 he noted that the 'fayre mansion place for the bysshope' at Ledbury was still to be seen but "all in ruyne" '(Hillaby). The extent of the grounds of the bishops palace or indeed the medieval deer park attached to it are not known. The main buildings probably stood close to Upper Cross but a larger area may have been needed to include services and other buildings. (Herefordshire SMR)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO712376
Latitude52.0363998413086
Longitude-2.42020010948181
Eastings371200
Northings237600
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 513
  • Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p. 178
  • Buteux, V., 1994, Central Marches Historic Town Survey, a personal observation (Central Marches Historic Town Survey)
  • Hillaby, J.G., 1982, The Book of Ledbury: An essay in interpretation (Buckingham)
  • Robinson, C.J., 1872, A History of the Mansions and Manors of Herefordshire (Logaston Press, 2001 reprint)

Antiquarian

  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 228
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 5 p. 184 online copy

Journals

  • Tonkin, J.W., 1976, 'The palaces of the bishop of Hereford' Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club Vol. 42.1 p. 53-64

Guide Books

  • Robinson, S.F.G., 1982, A short history of the parish of Ledbury, Herefordshire

Other

  • Dalwood, H. and Bryant, V. (eds), 2005, The Central Marches Historic Towns Survey 1992-6 Download online copy
  • Payne, Naomi, 2003, The medieval residences of the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Salisbury (PhD Thesis University of Bristol) Appendix B: List of Medieval Bishop's Palaces in England and Wales (available via EThOS)