Bosbury Palace

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Old Court

In the civil parish of Bosbury. In the historic county of Herefordshire (Modern Authority of Herefordshire, 1974 county of Hereford and Worcester).

Moat, altered gatehouse and some C15 masonry incorperated into farmhouse survive of Bishops Palace dating back to C13. Bosbury was the favoured residence of the Bishops of Hereford until told that the See must be in a larger town, hence the move to Hereford. Doomesday records a priest at Bosbury with a large estate indicating that Bosbury was a possible Minster. Bosbury became a vicarage in 1286. Old court and the demesne and glebe of Bosbury were leased to Thomas Morton and Rowland Morton in 1503. It was later leased to John Harford with the understanding he would demolish and rebuild Old Court. He instead built or improved New Court. In 1691 the estate was granted to Francis Bridge of Colwall.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO69604348

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 112294
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 303; 7105; 7275 & 20644 '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.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/db.php?smr_no=20644
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/bosbury.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p13
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p512-14
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p86
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p177
    RCHME, 1932, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol2: east p19, 20
    Watkins, J., 1902, Duncomb's Collections towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford, Hundred of Radlow p27
    Bentley, Rev S., 1891, History of the Parish of Bosbury
    Robinson, Rev C.J., 1872, A History of the Mansions and Manors of Herefordshire (Logaston Press, 2001 reprint)
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p377
• Journal Articles
  • Halliwell, Peter (ed), 1994, Herefordshire Archaeology News Vol61
    Tonkin, J.W., 1976, 'The palaces of the bishop of Hereford' Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club Vol42.1 p53-64
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p228
• 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 ]
    Morris, R K., 1995, Old Court Farm An Architectural Analysis (City of Hereford Archaeology Unit, in house report)