Lyddington Bede House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lyddington Bishops Palace and later Lyddington Bedehouse |
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Lyddington Bede House
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| Location | The Bedehouse is sited adjacent to the parish church. |
| OS grid reference | SP8758797005 |
| Founded | 12th Century |
| Demolished | Wing of a building, the remainder demolished after 1547 |
| Architectural style(s) | Medieval with later alterations |
| Governing body | English Heritage |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: The Bede House | |
| Designated | 10 November 1955 |
| Reference no. | 1264528 |
| Official name: Lyddington Bedehouse: a medieval bishop's palace and post-medieval almshouse with moat, gardens, fishponds and cultivation remains | |
| Designated | 11-Sep-1947 |
| Reference no. | 1013825 |
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Lyddington Bede House is a really old and interesting building in Rutland, England. It is owned and looked after by English Heritage, so you can visit it!
This special house used to be a grand palace for the Bishops of Lincoln a long, long time ago. Later, it became a place called an almshouse, which helped poor people. It is right next to St Andrew's Church in the village of Lyddington. The old watch tower, or gazebo, is also a very important historic building.
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History of Lyddington Bede House
In medieval times, the Diocese of Lincoln was the largest area managed by a bishop in England. It stretched all the way from the River Thames to the Humber Estuary. Lyddington was on a main road that went from north to south. This made the palace here a very handy place for the bishop and his many helpers to stop when they were travelling across their large area.
From Palace to Private Home
After a big change in England called the English Reformation, the palace was no longer owned by the bishops. It was taken over by the Cecil family, who made it their private home.
Becoming an Almshouse
Around the year 1600, the house passed to Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter. He was the son of a very important person named Lord Burghley. Thomas Cecil decided to turn the building into an almshouse. This was a special place that provided homes for twelve poor people, who were called bedesmen. The almshouse continued to help people until 1930.
One of the most interesting parts of the house is the bishop's old Great Chamber. It has a beautiful ceiling cornice with amazing carvings. You can also see the remains of the fishponds that belonged to the bishop's palace nearby.
Nearby English Heritage Sites
If you are visiting Lyddington Bede House, you might also like to see these other interesting places nearby:
- Rushton Triangular Lodge
- Kirby Hall
- Eleanor Cross, Geddington
Lyddington Bede House Gallery
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