Bishops Palace Walls and Tower

BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, BISHOPS PLACE

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1208109
Date first listed:
13-Jan-1951
List Entry Name:
Bishops Palace Walls and Tower
Statutory Address:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, BISHOPS PLACE
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Date:
2006-07-30
Reference:
IOE01/14733/34
Rights:
© Mr Robert W Keniston. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1208109
Date first listed:
13-Jan-1951
Date of most recent amendment:
25-Oct-1993
List Entry Name:
Bishops Palace Walls and Tower
Statutory Address 1:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, BISHOPS PLACE
Statutory Address 2:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, COVERDALE ROAD
Statutory Address 3:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, PALACE PLACE
Statutory Address 4:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, TOWER ROAD

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, BISHOPS PLACE
Statutory Address:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, COVERDALE ROAD
Statutory Address:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, PALACE PLACE
Statutory Address:
BISHOPS PALACE WALLS AND TOWER, TOWER ROAD

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Torbay (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SX 88630 60750

Details

PAIGNTON

SX8860 PALACE PLACE 1947-1/5/70 (South side) 13/03/51 Bishop's Palace walls and tower (Formerly Listed as: PALACE PLACE "Bible Tower" and remains of Bishop's Palace)

GV II*

Includes: Bishop's Palace walls and tower COVERDALE ROAD. Includes: Bishop's Palace walls and tower BISHOPS PLACE. Walls to Bishop's Palace including corner tower. Probably C14. MATERIALS: Local red breccia; tower roofed with lead. PLAN: Tall walls surround the precinct which is now occupied by the vicarage and its gardens. An internal corner tower occupies the SE corner of the enclosure. The Tower Road elevation of the wall has a section of rebuilding incorporating a 2-centred arched doorway. EXTERIOR: Walls are tall with coped merlons with embrasures, some slits, and pudlock holes. The 4-stage tapering tower has an embattled parapet above a moulded string. On the face fronting Bishop's Place is a small 2-centred doorway, the first stage has a 2-light window with ogival heads to the lights. The 2nd-floor window has 2 trefoil-headed lights below a blind plate. Similar windows to other elevations. West face, inside the vicar's garden, has a 2-centred doorway. INTERIOR: All the floors and the stair appear to be C20. Segmental-arched joists support a lead covering to the roof. HISTORY: The Bishop's Palace was transferred from Bishop Veysey to Sir Thomas Speke in 1549. In the C19 it was owned by a Colonel Ridgway, who exposed the foundations of old buildings - "numerous coins and other interesting objects were found during the excavation of the ground" (Couldrey). The site inside the enclosure is obviously of considerable archaeological interest. (Transactions of the Devonshire Association, Vol.64: Couldrey WG: Memories and Antiquities of Paignton: 1932-: 228; Buildings of England: Cherry B: Devon: London: 1952-1989: 841).

Listing NGR: SX8863060750

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
383843
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Devon, (1989), 841
Transactions of the Devonshire Association in Transactions of the Devonshire Association, Vol. 64, (1915)
Transactions of the Devonshire Association in Transactions of the Devonshire Association, (1932), 228

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Bishops Palace Walls and Tower

Map

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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