Wolvesey Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Wolvesey Palace

In the civil parish of Winchester. In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Hampshire, 1974 county of Hampshire).

Bishop's residences originally built as a castle in two phases, by Bishop Henry de Blois, between 1130 and 1171 on the site of a Saxon chapel. This was reduced to ruins during the civil war. The new Bishops Palace was built in 1684 by Sir Christopher Wren. Incorporating an existing C15 chapel

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 144498)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU48472909

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 230954
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 8684 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.hants.gov.uk/leisure/history/wolvesey/index.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/185/wolveseycastle.htm
    http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/entries/v04p092e07.html
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.230
    http://www.itraveluk.co.uk/content/252.html
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/wolvesey.html
• Books
  • Blanchard, Ian, 2007, Twelth Century: A neglected Epoch in British Economic and Social History (Newlees E-book) p188-91 [plan] http://www.ianblanchard.com/Folder/Chapter%208.pdf
    Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p430-34
    Elliot, Julia (ed), 2005, Heritage Unlocked; Guide to free sites in London and the South East (London: English Heritage) p84-7
    Roberts, E., 2003, Hampshire Houses 1250-1700: Their Dating and Development (Winchester: Hampshire County Council)
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p60-1
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p11, 13, 22-3, 25, 27, 30, 47, 51-2, 72, 91-2, 113, 118-20, 122, 126, 143, 153, 157, 162
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p35, 44-7, 65, 91, 132, 158, 185
    James, T.B., 1997, Winchester (London; Batsford/English Heritage)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p91-3
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby)
    Barron, W.G., 1985, The Castles of Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Paul Cave) p55
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p194
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p320
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Pevsner, N., and Lloyd, D., 1967. The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (London, Penguin) p685-6, 687
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p55-6
    Page, Wm (ed), 1912, VCH, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol5 p13-14 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42043
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Jeans, 1906, Mem. Old Hants. (London) p204-12
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p217-18
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p388-9
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p324
    Milner, 1798, History and Survey of the Antiquities of Winchester (Winchester) Vol2 p132-6
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol2 p230-2
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1992 Feb, Fortress Vol12 p13-22
    Hughes, Michael, 1989, 'Hampshire Castles and the Landscape 1066-1216' Landscape History Vol2 p27-60
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p320
    Biddle, M., 1972, 'Excavations at Winchester, 1970: Ninth Interim Report' Antiquaries Journal Vol52 p125-31
    1971, Medieval Archaeology Vol15 p143 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    1970, Medieval Archaeology Vol14 p172-3 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    1969, Medieval Archaeology Vol13 p250 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Biddle, M., 1968, 'Excavations at Winchester 1967: sixth interim report' Antiquaries Journal Vol48 p282-4
    Biddle, M., 1967, 'Excavations at Winchester, 1966; fifth interim report' Antiquaries Journal Vol47 p272-7 plan
    1967, Medieval Archaeology Vol11 p282 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Biddle, M., 1966, 'Excavations at Winchester 1965; fourth interim report' Antiquaries Journal Vol46 p326-8
    Biddle, M., 1966, 'Wolvesey Palace' Archaeological Journal Vol123
    Biddle, M., 1966, 'Wolvesey: the domus quasi palatium of Henry of Blois in Winchester' Château Gaillard Vol3 p28-36
    1966, Medieval Archaeology Vol10 p184-6 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Biddle, M., 1965, 'Excavations at Winchester, 1964 Third Interim Report' Antiquaries Journal Vol45 p258-60
    1965, Medieval Archaeology Vol9 p184 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Biddle, M., 1964, 'Excavations at Winchester, 1962-63 : Second Interim Report' Antiquaries Journal Vol44 p212-4
    1964, Medieval Archaeology Vol8 p248 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Nisbett, N., 1902, Archaeological Journal Vol59 p363-8
    Nisbett, N., 1894-7, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Vol3 p207-224 [reprinted in Jeans, 1906]
    Brock et al, 1880, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol36 p244-5
    Parker, 1845, Proceedings of the Archaeological Institute p9-11
    1842, Gentleman's Magazine pt1 p535-6 http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027525941
    1829, Gentleman's Magazine pt1 p105-6 http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027525529
• Guidebooks
  • Wareham, J., 2000, Three palaces of the bishops of Winchester: Wolvesey (Old Bishop's Palace), Hampshire; Bishop's Waltham Palace, Hampshire; Farnham Castle keep, Surrey (London: English Heritage)
    Biddle, Martin, 1986, Wolvesey: the Old Bishop's Palace, Winchester, Hampshire (London: English Heritage)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p237
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#hants10]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p199
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • 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 http://ethos.bl.uk ]