Buckden Towers
Encyclopedia
Buckden Towers, formerly known as Buckden Palace, is a 12th-century fortified manor house
, located on High Street
, Buckden
, Cambridgeshire
, England
.
Although it is often stated as being built in the 15th century, it was actually built in the late 12th century, when records show it as being used to house the Bishops of Lincoln
. The tall brick tower was added in 1475, protected by walls and a moat
, and surrounded by an outer bailey
. It was used by the bishops until 1842.
Since 1947, Buckden Towers has been used as a Christian Retreat and Conference Centre run by the Claretian Missionaries
, together with the Catholic Parish Church of St. Hugh of Lincoln, which stands on the site of the great chamber of the medieval palace. The grounds to the towers are open to visitors regularly. It is a scheduled monument and a Grade I listed building.
Little now remains of the bishops' moated palace except the great tower, the inner gatehouse
, part of the battlemented wall, which used to surround the inner court within the moat
, and the outer gate and wall. On 16 July 1551, Henry, Duke of Suffolk
and his brother Lord Charles
died here from the sweating sickness. They had come to Buckden to avoid the sickness at Cambridge.
The antiquary Edward John Rudge
published a history, Illustrated and Historical Account of Buckden Palace, in 1839.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, located on High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
, Buckden
Buckden, Cambridgeshire
Buckden in Cambridgeshire , England is a village near Godmanchester, around south of Huntingdon and north of London.-Geography:...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Although it is often stated as being built in the 15th century, it was actually built in the late 12th century, when records show it as being used to house the Bishops of Lincoln
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
. The tall brick tower was added in 1475, protected by walls and a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, and surrounded by an outer bailey
Ward (fortification)
In fortifications, a bailey or ward refers to a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a Motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one ward. Their layout depends both on the local topography and the level of fortification technology...
. It was used by the bishops until 1842.
Since 1947, Buckden Towers has been used as a Christian Retreat and Conference Centre run by the Claretian Missionaries
Claretians
The Claretians, a community of Roman Catholic priests and brothers, were founded by Saint Anthony Claret in 1849. They strive to follow their founder's “on fire” example and help wherever they are needed. Their ministries are highly diverse and vary depending on the needs of the area. They focus...
, together with the Catholic Parish Church of St. Hugh of Lincoln, which stands on the site of the great chamber of the medieval palace. The grounds to the towers are open to visitors regularly. It is a scheduled monument and a Grade I listed building.
Little now remains of the bishops' moated palace except the great tower, the inner gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
, part of the battlemented wall, which used to surround the inner court within the moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, and the outer gate and wall. On 16 July 1551, Henry, Duke of Suffolk
Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk , styled Lord Henry Brandon before 1545, was an English nobleman, the son of the 1st Duke of Suffolk, by his fourth wife, the suo jure 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby....
and his brother Lord Charles
Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk , known as Lord Charles Brandon until shortly before his death, was the son of the 1st Duke of Suffolk and the suo jure 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby....
died here from the sweating sickness. They had come to Buckden to avoid the sickness at Cambridge.
The antiquary Edward John Rudge
Edward John Rudge
Edward John Rudge, M.A. was an English barrister and antiquary.The son of Edward Rudge, botanist and antiquary, he attended Caius College, Cambridge, and was barrister-at-law, fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and author of Some Account of the History and Antiquities of Evesham,...
published a history, Illustrated and Historical Account of Buckden Palace, in 1839.
Notable visitors
- Henry IIIHenry III of EnglandHenry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
in 1248 - Edward IEdward I of EnglandEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1291 - Richard IIIRichard III of EnglandRichard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
in 1483 - Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of Henry VIIHenry VII of EnglandHenry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
) in 1501 - Queen Katherine of AragonCatherine of AragonCatherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
- resided here from July 1533 to May 1534 - Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
& Catherine HowardCatherine HowardCatherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
in 1541 - James IJames I of EnglandJames VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1619 - Prince RegentGeorge IV of the United KingdomGeorge IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
in 1814 - William Barlow (bishop of Lincoln)William Barlow (Bishop of Lincoln)William Barlow was an Anglican priest and courtier during the reign of James I of England. He served as Bishop of Rochester in 1605 and Bishop of Lincoln in the Anglican Church from 1608 until his death. He had also served the church as Rector of St Dunstan's, Stepney in Middlesex and of...
- buried there