Bishop’s Palace, Little Downham, 1914 (photo J H Bullock) (Cambridgeshire Collection)
Bishop’s Palace, (Tower Farm), Little Downham
History of the Bishop's Palace
Listed Building:
Late C15 walls of Bishop of Ely’s Palace to west and north included in fabric of C19 building. Gault brick, C15 red brick; plain tile roof with end stacks and ridge stack to right of centre.
The picture shows the refectory of the Bishop’s Palace, Little Downham, used as a barn in 1914. The palace was constructed by Bishop Alcock towards the end of the C15th. In 1906 H Rider Haggard published an account of his visit to the area.
By 1250 the estate of Downham covered almost 11 square miles, although 10.5 of these were made up of a Deer park of 250 acres and two large fen lakes.
The Palace was damaged in the Civil War and had been largely demolished by the 18th century. By 1746 a farmhouse had been created.
Downham, doorway at Tower Farm (Religious Houses of Cambs, 1988)
Building dates
- Built 1460–1499
Source for this date
- Built 1460–1499: Listed building: Late C15 (grade II)
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