Little Gransden Manor of the bishop of Ely

In the civil parish of Little Gransden. In the historic county of Cambridgeshire (Modern Authority of Cambridgeshire, 1974 county of Cambridgeshire).

The bishops of Ely probably seldom visited this outlying estate, although their villeins were obliged to carry their baggage when they did. Bishop Lisle came to Gransden in 1356, when fleeing from the enemies who had attacked his train at St. Ives. The bishops maintained a manor-house at Little Gransden with a hall, chamber, and kitchen, the usual farm-buildings, and a dovecot. With the decline of high demesne farming the buildings began to fall into decay. In 1356 they were already said to be ruinous. The last to survive was the dovecot, demolished by the rector c. 1550, and possibly re-erected in Great Gransden. The site of the manor-house called Berry close, south-east of the churchyard and rectory, was held with the rest of the demesne by the tenants. They were leasing it to the rectors by 1550. On part they built a town house which was let by the churchwardens for 20s. a year. In the 16th century the steward held the manor courts there, and the new lords after 1602 claimed it therefore as the manor-house. The area was in 1968 occupied by the gardens of the former rectory and old school buildings. (VCH)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL273553

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) p176
    Elrington, C.R. (ed), 1973, VCH Cambridge and the Isle of Ely Vol5 p87- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66676
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc.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 ]