Witney Bishop of Winchesters Palace

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Mount House

In the civil parish of Witney. In the historic county of Oxfordshire (Modern Authority of Oxfordshire, 1974 county of Oxfordshire).

The known surviving extent of the moated palace of the Bishop of Winchester. The Bishop's Palace was built in the early C12. The remains include a roughly square, walled amd moated enclosure within which stood a series of buildings including a very substantial solar tower and hall which also acted as a defensible keep. Other structures include a chapel, stables, kitchens, latrines, workshops, storage, additional accommodation and a defensible gatehouse. The Bishop of Winchester was granted the estate in 1044. The evidence provided by excavation supports the documented date at which the site ws obtained by the Bishop of Winchester, and evidence from further building phases indicates that the dispute between Stephen and Matilda was the impetus for the building of this strong palace. In 1129 Henry of Blois, Stephen's brother, was made Bishop of Winchester, and in 1137 he ordered the building of six 'castles' to secure his estates against bandits and rebels.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP357093

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 334458
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 4383 '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.

• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p430-34
    Allen, T.G. with Hiller, J., 2002, The Excavation of a Medieval Manor House of the Bishops of Winchester at Mount House, Witney, Oxfordshire, 1984-92 (Oxford Archaeology: Thames Valley Landscapes Monograph No. 13)
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p25, 47, 89-91, 153, 165 [plan]
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p96, 186
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby) p44, 59, 60
    Durham, B., 1985, Witney Palace, Excavations at Mount House, Witney, in 1984 (Oxford: Oxford Archaeological Unit)
• Journal Articles
  • Durham, Brian, 1993, 'Nine lives for Bishop's Palace [Witney, Oxfordshire]' British Archaeological News Vol8
    1984, Oxfordshire Archaeological Unit: newsletter Vol11 No3 p9-11
• 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 ]