Description

THE COLLEGE
1.
1082
Bishop's Palace
TL 5379 2/12 (The Palace School)
TL 5479 2/12 23.9.50.
GV
2,
Bishop's Palace, which stands on the south side of Palace Green to the
west of the Cathedral, was originally built in the C15 by Bishop Alcock
(1486-1501). The only surviving part of Alcock's palace is the east tower
and the lower part of the west tower. The upper part of the west tower
and the west wing, facing Palace Green was built by Bishop Goodrich in
1550 and the recessed centre part and the block facing south to the garden
was built by Bishop Laney (1667-75) who demolished the major part of Bishop
Goodrich's palace. The east tower is a large, square, brick building with
blue brick diapering and stone dressings. It has a parapet with a moulded
stone string course, a plinth with moulded stone capping and corner buttresses
with 3 offsets. On the west side there is an octagonal staircase turret
with a stone spiral staircase. 4 storeys. 2 window range on the north
front and 1 window range on the east and west fronts, 2-light stone dressed
mullioned windows with arched lights and rectangular hood moulds. Moulded
stone string courses run between the storeys. Between the windows on the
lst storey there is a tripartite niche with carved stone hoods and sills
and on the 2nd and 3rd storeys there are square stone panels carved with
angel figures. The ground storey originally had a central gateway passage
with elaborate lierne vaulting with richly carved bosses, the central boss
bearing the arms of Bishop Alcock. Bishop Goodrich built the west tower
to balance the earlier east tower and of similar design but without blue
brick diapering and carved stonework. The octagonal staircase tower has
a wood staircase. The west wing (Alcock's Gallery) is 2 storey with a
parapet and a moulded stone string course. The 1st storey has 6 window
range, stone mullioned and transomed windows with arched upper lights and
rectangular hood moulds. The central window is an oriel bay bearing the
arms of Edward VI. The south block of Bishop Laney is 2 storeys and attics,
with short wings joining the main block with the towers and forming a forecourt
The north front has a parapet and cornice and the ground storey has Ionic
pilasters and a cornice. The centre part, of 1 window range, breaks forward
slightly and has open scrolls above the doorway. 5 window range overall
and 1 window rouge on the return wings. The 1st storey windows are wood
mullioned and transomed easements, in stone architraves and the ground
storey windows are stone dressed with stone mullions, arched lights and
rectangular hood moulds. The doorway has Ionic columns, and a semi-circular
arched hood, In 1771 Bishop Keen remodelled the interior of the palace
and added a central staircase wing on thes south front. The east wing,
facing the Gallery, has 4 window range and the south front has 4:1:4 window
range, double-hung sashes with glazing bars, in cased frames and with stone
architraves. A raised stone band runs between the storeys. The centre
part breaks forward, with stone quoins and a Venetian window on the 1st
storey. Roofs tiled, hipped, with gabled dormers.

Bishop's Palace and Walls to Bishop's Palace form a group with The Chantry,
Walls & gate to the Chantry, No 3, wall and railings to No3 Palace Green.
Also Bishop's Palace & Walls to Bishop's Palace form a group with The Great
Hall (Bishop's residence), the Queen's Hall (Headmaster's House), Wall to the
Garden of the Bishop's residence, Guest Quarters of the Monastery, Walls to
Guest quarters of the Monastery and Ely Porta, Prior's House (Boarding House
of the king's School) Prior Crauden's Chapel, Walls to the garden of the prior's
House, Ely Porta, Barn and Storehouse of the monastery & Wall to the Barn &
Storehouse, and Nos 2 to 8 (consec) & No 9 (stables to Bishop's palace),
The gallery.
See also general group description under the Cathedral of The Holy Trinity.

Listing NGR: TL5389680307

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Bishop's Palace Bishop's Palace (the Palace School) at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17527668

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
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  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)