Chew Court is a Grade II*
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
next to
St Andrew's church in
Chew Magna
Chew Magna is a village and civil parish within the Chew Valley in the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset, in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 1,149.
To the south of the village is Che ...
,
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
, England.
It was originally a palace for
Gisa the
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.
The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of D ...
, however little of the original building survives. After use by a succession of bishops it was sold to the
Duke of Somerset
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
.
The oldest portion is the gatehouse at the southern end of the east wing.
The house was largely rebuilt in 1656, from which a little survives as the Chew Court of today including an
Elizabethan doorway with
Doric pilasters.
The room over the gatehouse is said to have been used as a court-room, with the turrets used for holding prisoners. The house now forms an "l" shape of two wings.
In 2011 alterations were made to the driveway leading to the house and additional walls built around the gardens.
About south west of the building is a medieval well, which was later enclosed with a sandstone well house.
References
{{reflist
Houses completed in 1656
Grade II* listed buildings in Bath and North East Somerset
Grade II* listed houses in Somerset
1656 establishments in England