A corner of yorkshire

HOWDEN BISHOPS PALACE

Dating back to the 12th century and built on the site of a Saxon manor house, the palace (sometimes called the Bishops Manor) was provided for the bishops of Durham, who used it as a stopping-off point between Durham and London.

It was also an administrative centre, showing that the bishops’ powers extended far beyond Durham Cathedral. It was remodelled between 1388 and 1405 by Bishop Walter Skirlaw, who was brought up at Skirlaugh in Holderness and became Archdeacon of the East Riding. Later, as Bishop of Durham he was a close adviser to Richard II and Henry IV.

The palace of today is much changed, with extensive alterations in Tudor times and more in the 18th and 20th centuries, but Bishop Skirlaw’s vaulted entrance porch remains. Next to the palace are the remnants of the great banqueting hall. Prince John spent Christmas here in 1191, while Kings Edward II and Henry V were also guests.