Lawhitton Bishops Palace

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Sherr's Barton

In the civil parish of Lawhitton Rural.
In the historic county of Cornwall (Modern Authority of Cornwall, 1974 county of Cornwall).

Site of medieval residential manor of Bishops of Exeter, small and infrequently used, occupied by late C18 house.

This site has been described as a Palace. A high status manor house. That is a fundamentally domestic building of a high status person usual a bishop or member of the royal family. Usually more elaborate that a fortified manor but a small bishops palace, such as the one at Lyddington might be quite modest compared to a large fortified manor. All these high status building had some fortifications, if only to keep out thieves, but were probably not seen, even by the contemporary people, as being military buildings. Included in this definition, for the purposes of this site, are Royal hunting lodges. These could vary from sizable buildings, even castles, with courts and gaols to simple timber building providing short term accommodation.

The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.

Nothing visible remains.

This site is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 393566)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX354823

Modern Map from

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from

Good for general location

Air Photo from

1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 437052

Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p549-51
  Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p177
  Elliott-Binns, L.E., 1955, Medieval Cornwall p302-5

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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations.

It is an offence to disturb a Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation.

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The comprehensive gazetteer of the medieval fortifications and castles of Cornwall

With thanks to Philip Davis

Lawhitton Bishops Palace

Site of medieval residential manor of Bishops of Exeter, small and infrequently used, occupied by late C18 house.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX354823

Sources of information, references and further reading