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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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John of Gaunts Palace, Kings Somborne

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Old Palace Farm

In the civil parish of Kings Somborne.
In the historic county of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Modern Authority of Hampshire.
1974 county of Hampshire.
Medieval County of Hampshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SU36093088
Latitude 51.07585° Longitude -1.48749°

John of Gaunts Palace, Kings Somborne has been described as a probable Palace.

There are masonry footings remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*.

Description

Old Palace Lodge and Palace Farmhouse (formerly listed as the Old Palace) Farmhouse now 2 dwellings. C16 core, refronted C17 and C18, altered C19 remodelled 1965, on site of John of Gaunt's Palace. Flint with brick dressings and brick, old plain tile roof. C16 L-shaped building of 5 bay front with 2 bay wing to rear on left, wing originally extended further and front extended to right, (wing bays are wider suggesting greater importance), to right of centre bay C18 wing added and to right end C20 outshot garage. All 2 storey. Front has to left 2 bays and along wing plinth with moulded brick offset. C20 door in 2nd bay from left, 3-light casement to centre and 2 2-light casements in left bay. Over left bays 3-light casement with head in hipped dormer and 2-light casement in centre bay. Projecting C18 wing has C20 french doors and windows. To right corner C20 pent-roofed porch with casement beside and C20 2 and 3-light casement above. Roof hipped with large right of centre ridge stack and stack on right hip. Inside remains of C16 roof, possibly originally on a timber-frame structure. Queen post roof with 3 posts and curved windbraces although only one nearly complete truss remains, and parts of an interesting truss across the diagonal of the corner survive. 2 C16 stone windows which were in building pre-1965 survive in pieces in garden. Possibly part of outbuildings of palace. (Listed Building Report)

Medieval Manor house documented in 1362 when it was passed on to the wife of John of Gaunt. The site of the house is indicated by earthworks and fragments of walling. The current building, Palace Farm dates from C16, was refronted during C17/C18 and converted into two houses circa 1965. Excavations have also located the remains of an extensive Saxon settlement. Evidence was also recovered for prehistoric occupation, C16 and later buildings and field boundaries associated with Palace Farm. (PastScape)

South of the church is the site of the manor-house, to which local tradition or pride assigns the name of John of Gaunt's Palace. It was thus described in 1591:—'The Seytuacon of the sayed Mansion and Mannor Place, beinge in a very wholsome and healthye ayre, a verey fayer and Anncyent House, with all necessarie and convenyent houses of offyces and mylls to the same in anne degree apperteyninge havinge within the same suffycient wood fewell and alsoe tymber, with goode and sweete water fayer orchardes gardynes and Walles both fyt and convenyint, a Parke well furnyshed with deere and Connyes, and the Fyshinge of the Ryver there which yeldeth boeth Troote, Eles and other fyshe.' (Duchy of Lanc Misc Books cxvi fol 4). (VCH)
Comments

Medieval Manor house, possibly of Saxon origin, original ancient demense of the Crown but granted to William Briwere in 1190. It returned to the Crown, via the Duchy of Lancaster, in 1399. A fine house with deer park etc. but no evidence of royal residential use. The open question being who was residing here and making use of the deer park?
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
PastScape   County HER   Scheduling   Listing   I. O. E.
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.
The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.
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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
This record last updated 26/07/2017 09:20:08

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