John of Gaunts Palace, Kings Somborne

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?