The Old Palace, Bishop Kings Palace
The Old Palace, Bishop King's Palace, 86 and 87, St Aldgate's, Oxford, OX1 1RA
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1369422
- Date first listed:
- 12-Jan-1954
- List Entry Name:
- The Old Palace, Bishop Kings Palace
- Statutory Address:
- The Old Palace, Bishop King's Palace, 86 and 87, St Aldgate's, Oxford, OX1 1RA
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-07-03
- Reference:
- IOE01/06517/15
- Rights:
- © Ms Ruth Povey. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1369422
- Date first listed:
- 12-Jan-1954
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 28-Jun-1972
- List Entry Name:
- The Old Palace, Bishop Kings Palace
- Statutory Address 1:
- The Old Palace, Bishop King's Palace, 86 and 87, St Aldgate's, Oxford, OX1 1RA
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:
- The Old Palace, Bishop King's Palace, 86 and 87, St Aldgate's, Oxford, OX1 1RA
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Oxfordshire
- District:
- Oxford (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SP 51399 05861
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 17 July 2026 to amend the name and address and reformat the text to current standards.
SP 5105 NW
12/458
ST ALDATE'S STREET (west side)
Nos 86 & 87 (The Old Palace, Bishop King's Palace)
(Formerly listed under Rose Place)
12.1.54.
GV
I
RCHM 154. Built in two sections:- (1) the main range built circa 1622-8 by Thomas Smith and probably incorporating the core of an earlier structure and (2) the west range being an earlier house of C16-C17. Three-storeyed timber-framed except for the east elevation and the two lower storeys of the south wall, which are of stone. The roofs are of Welsh slate.
The long axis lies east and west at right angles to the street with its north elevation facing on to Rose Place and the south on to Clark's Row. The north elevation shows a main range of five gables and to the west of these two smaller and lower gables of the C16-C17 building which has an oversailing on the upper floors. On the ground floor is a modern addition towards the east and to the west the 1622 timber-framed front has a doorway with rectangular fanlight, a three-light window and a side doorway. In the first and second floors are five bay windows but the two first floor ones were destroyed when the C19 addition was made towards the east. Each oriel window has four front mullioned, transomed and moulded wood-framed lights and one on each return; each is supported by three brackets carved with grotesques; the centre window in the first floor has the date 1628 on a shield above the heads of each of the three grotesques. The moulded fascias above the first floor windows have carved arches rising from pendants between, and at each end of, each oriel. The face of the first and second storeys has a pargetted decoration.
The west (or C16-C17) range has an overhang at the second floor and two gables; in the first floor is a plainer three-light oriel supported by two moulded brackets and in the second floor is a similar oriel with a plain three-light casement window in the west gable. The east elevation has an embattled parapet with a curved gable in the centre. In the second floor are three C17 single-light stone mullioned windows. It is probable that this east wall is of a date earlier than the 1628 north front. The present projecting shop on the north east angle seems (from early drawings) to have been here since 1837-39. The south elevation has been somewhat altered and some of the windows have been converted to sashes. The top storey of the east part has some modern additions; the centre part has an attic storey added, while to the west the wing has a single gable.
Interior. RCHM p 175 b and Antiq Jnl 27 (1947) p 135. Includes contemporary panelling, plaster ceilings and staircases. For plans, elevations and section see Fig 10 p 134 of Antiq Jnl 27 (1947).
Nos 82 to 92 (consec) form a group.
Listing NGR: SP5140205862
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 245771
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Inventory of the City of Oxford, (1939), 175
Journal of the Society of Antiquaries of London in Journal of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Vol. 27, (1947), 135
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-Jul-2026 at 13:54:18.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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