Barn to west of Tower Farmhouse
Barn to west of Tower Farmhouse, Tower Farmhouse, Tower Road
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1310362
- Date first listed:
- 05-Feb-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Barn to west of Tower Farmhouse
- Statutory Address:
- Barn to west of Tower Farmhouse, Tower Farmhouse, Tower Road
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1310362
- Date first listed:
- 05-Feb-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Barn to west of Tower Farmhouse
- Statutory Address 1:
- Barn to west of Tower Farmhouse, Tower Farmhouse, Tower Road
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Barn to west of Tower Farmhouse, Tower Farmhouse, Tower Road
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Cambridgeshire
- District:
- East Cambridgeshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Downham
- National Grid Reference:
- TL5190084183
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 28/08/2019
TL 58 SW
4/20
DOWNHAM
TOWER ROAD (north side)
Barn to west of Tower Farmhouse
(Formerly listed as Barn to east of Tower Farmhouse)
5.2.52
GV
II*
Barn, formerly the kitchen range attached to hall range (demolished) of the Bishop of Ely's Palace. Built for Bishop Alcock (1486-1500). Red brick with deeper red brick diaper patterning; plinth coursed in English bond with chamfered limestone band. Roof recently burnt in fire, 1984 and replaced with red pantile covering.
One storey kitchen, chambered to the west with octagonal side stack in crow-stepped gable wall; large lateral stack to east of south wall reduced to eaves height and opened in C19 as entrance to the barn. West gable lean-to with weatherings in gable wall of original roof. Wall to east C20 and side stack. Dentil brick eaves cornices.
South elevation. Blocked four-centred arched doorway to left hand; five-light ground floor window with stone jambs and chamfered mullions. Three first floor windows, one with original wave moulded brick jambs and brick label, (without frames 1984).
Interior: Kitchen hearth with wide four-centred pointed brick arch and baking oven with drying chamber above. Blocked openings in north wall suggest an entrance at ground floor to a vaulted passage beside the hall with wide four-centred brick arched servery to left hand; blocked first floor window-and two arched recesses to chamber above hall. Recesses at first floor in north and south walls indicate the position of the east wall of the kitchen chamber. Blocked openings of west wall; door at ground floor to lean-to, one at first floor to garderobe and to blocked hearth.
The Palace was the favourite of the medieval bishops, damaged in the Civil War it was demolished in the C18, a lease of 1746 refers to its conversion as a farmhouse.
R.C.H.M. (Measured Drawings) 1977
Listing NGR: TL5190084183
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 49473
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Bishopric of Ely Lease Book, (1746), 318-321
Salzman, L F, The Victoria History of the County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, (1982), 92
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Cambridgeshire, (1954), 330
Patterson, W, The Village and Church, (1974)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 20-Jun-2026 at 15:30:06.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.