Capturing Cambridge
  • search
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Moated bishop’s palace, Manor Farm, Doddington

History of the Bishop's Palace

Listed Building:

The manor of Doddington was one of the manors obtained by the monastery at Ely on its foundation in the 11th century, and it subsequently became one of the bishops’ principal residences. Bishop Balsham died there in 1286. A survey made for Bishop Fontibus in 1221 shows a demesne of 262 and a half acres, together with both vaccaries and fisheries. The manor, like many of the other episcopal manors, passed through a depression in the 14th century. By the late 15th century the manor was no longer in use by the bishops as an official residence and was leased out. By 1602 the manor was in the ownership of Sir John Peyton, in whose family it continued until the end of the 19th century.

Brithnoth, first Abbot of the refounded Abbey at Ely, held 60 acres and a fish weir here and by 1086 the estate had grown substantially. At the formation of the Bishopric of Ely in 1191 the manor was given to the bishops and it became one of their favourite residences. The estate declined during the 14th century but the Bishop’s palace was kept in good repair.

Contribute

Do you have any information about the people or places in this article? If so, then please let us know using the Contact page or by emailing capturingcambridge@museumofcambridge.org.uk.

Licence

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Dear Visitor,

Thank you for exploring historical Cambridgeshire! We hope you enjoy your visit and, if you do,  would consider making a donation today.

Capturing Cambridge makes accessible thousands of photos and memories of Cambridge and its surrounding villages and towns. It is run by the Museum of Cambridge which, though 90 years old, is one of the most poorly publicly funded local history museums in the UK. It receives no core funding from local or central government nor from the University of Cambridge.

As a result, we are facing a crisis; we have no financial cushion – unlike many other museums in Cambridge – and are facing the need to drastically cut back our operations which could affect our ability to continue to run and develop this groundbreaking local history website.

If Capturing Cambridge matters to you, then the survival of the Museum of the Cambridge should matter as well. If you won’t support the preservation of your heritage, no-one else will! Your support is critical.

If you love Capturing Cambridge, and you are able to, we’d appreciate your support.

Every donation makes a world of difference.

Thank you,
Roger Lilley, Chair of Trustees
Museum of Cambridge