Little Compton

Has been described as a Questionable Palace (Bishop), and also as a Questionable Fortified Manor House

There are no visible remains

NameLittle Compton
Alternative NamesParva Cumpton
Historic CountryGloucestershire
Modern AuthorityWarwickshire
1974 AuthorityWarwickshire
Civil ParishCompton Wynyates

John, Archbishop of York, was granted a licence to crenellate, in 1291, his 'mansum' at Parva Cumpton, Gloucestershire (now Warwickshire). Thompson asks if this was a refuge for the archbishop. He also writes the archbishop did not own this parish but Condicote to the west. Presumably this house would have been on the site now occupied by the C16 manor house.

Little Compton, Warwicks. appears in Thompson's list. Little Compton was not in episcopal hands (VCH Warwicks 5: 51). Thompson says "Licence 1291. The Archbishop did not own this parish but Condicote to west." The VCH for Condicote (Glos. 6: 65) states that the manor was owned by the church of Winchester at Domesday and was always subinfeudated. There is no mention of a bishop's residence here or at Little Compton, although the manor house at Little Compton was once home of William Juxon, bishop of London, then archbishop of Canterbury 1660-3. (Payne)

This parish was an isolated portion of the county of Gloucester until about 1845, when it was transferred to Warwickshire. (VCH)

Gatehouse Comments

Tenurially the manor seems to have been held by Deerhurst Abbey in 1291 so, presumably, John was a subtenant of that house. The current Little Compton Manor is dated from the C16 and neither the PastScape record, the Warwickshire HER nor the Listed building report mention an earlier house but there can be little doubt the Manor occupies the site of John's licenced house. The house must have been a private residence, rather than an episcopal house, and part of the function of the licence to crenellate may have been to assert this.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP261302
Latitude51.9704704284668
Longitude-1.62092995643616
Eastings426130
Northings230280
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p. 118, 167, 188
  • Salzmann, L.F. (ed), 1949, VCH Warwickshire Vol. 5 p. 50-52 online transcription
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 403 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1893, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward I (1281-91) Vol. 2 p. 451 online copy

Other

  • 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)