Little Compton

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Parva Cumpton

In the civil parish of Compton Wynyates. In the historic county of Gloucestershire (Modern Authority of Warwickshire, 1974 county of Warwickshire).

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. I presume 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)
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.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP261302

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

Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular '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, or elsewhere.

• Books
  • Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p118, 167, 188
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p403
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1281-92) p451
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc.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 ]