Monument record HXN 016 - Oakley Park Stables; Hoxne Hall (Med)

Hoxne Hall (site of). The Hall was the [later - see below for original] palace of the Bishops of Norwich (S1)(S2). The E Anglian bishops had a seat at Hoxne as early as the C10: Bishop Theodred in his will of c.950 refers to his `biscopriche' at Hoxne (S3). Domesday Book mentions that the church here was the espiscopal seat in Suffolk in 1066 (sedes episcopatus de Sudfolc)(S4). The will of Bishop Walter Suffield is dated at Hoxne 1256, Bishop John Wakeryng ordained in his palace chapel 1418, Bishop Thomas Browne died at Hoxne 1445, as did Bishops Walter Lyhert and James Goldwell in 1472 and 1499 (S5). The Chorography of Suffolk c.1600 mentions that there was a palace of the Bishops' in Hoxne `very fayre and gallant' (S6).
Hoxne Hall lay within the New Park (in existence by 1326-7 - see HXN 022) and may have originally have been a lodge within the Medieval deer park. See PMed for later history.
2003: Monitoring of groundworks associated with conversion of the stable block to dwelling. The stables appear to have been constructed on a hardcore pad, as such the area was heavily disturbed. Whilst most of the excavated trenches were quite shallow, suggestions of the moat known to have occupied the site were seen in trenches on the east and west sides of the building. These dark humic layers probably represent remains of the northern and eastern moat arms. PMed brickwork, mainly drains and culverts were noted in the trenches to the east of the building and the service trench to the south-west - details in (S7).
The original site of the palace may have been the large moated site beside the church (see HXN 006).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2003 (S8).