Hampshire, Bishops Sutton
St Nicholas’ church in Bishops Sutton, Hampshire, with walls over 3ft thick probably of Norman origin. The arch that separates the chancel from the nave was rebuilt around the 13c. The walls are made up of flint rubble mixed with some Roman brick and originally would have had a covering of exterior plaster.
Known as Sudtone in Domesday, when it was held by Earl Eustace whose grand-daughter Maud became the wife of King Stephen, so the manor reverted to the crown. In 1136 the king exchanged it with his brother Henry de Blois, Bishop of Alresford, after which it was called Sottone Bishop and later Sutton Episcopi. Henry de Blois built a palace for himself and kennels in the village were used to keep hunting hounds..
The manor remained in the possession of the bishops of Alresford until 1551, when Bishop Stephen Gardiner was deprived of his bishopric and the land became royal property. Queen Mary restored the manor to the bishop in 1558 but it was sold into private hands in 1647 during the Commonwealth period. After the restoration of the monarchy the land reverted to the bishops of Alresford.
Hampshire, Bishops Sutton
St Nicholas’ church in Bishops Sutton, Hampshire, with walls over 3ft thick probably of Norman origin. The arch that separates the chancel from the nave was rebuilt around the 13c. The walls are made up of flint rubble mixed with some Roman brick and originally would have had a covering of exterior plaster.
Known as Sudtone in Domesday, when it was held by Earl Eustace whose grand-daughter Maud became the wife of King Stephen, so the manor reverted to the crown. In 1136 the king exchanged it with his brother Henry de Blois, Bishop of Alresford, after which it was called Sottone Bishop and later Sutton Episcopi. Henry de Blois built a palace for himself and kennels in the village were used to keep hunting hounds..
The manor remained in the possession of the bishops of Alresford until 1551, when Bishop Stephen Gardiner was deprived of his bishopric and the land became royal property. Queen Mary restored the manor to the bishop in 1558 but it was sold into private hands in 1647 during the Commonwealth period. After the restoration of the monarchy the land reverted to the bishops of Alresford.