Medieval magnates residence

A medieval magnate's residence is a very high-status residence of domestic rather than military character. Such residences were the palaces or houses of royalty, bishops and the highest rank of nobility who were usually closely linked to the monarch.

Magnates' residences date from the Norman conquest throughout the rest of the medieval period; in some cases, as at Wolvesey Palace, Winchester, these may have been a continuation of the Saxon tradition. Individual residences were in use for varying lengths of time; some continued in use into the post-medieval period. Some are still in use today, although no longer by magnates.

Magnates' residences are widespread throughout England, reflecting the mobility of royalty and bishops. There is a concentration in the London area and the majority of the sites tend to be located in the south of the country; few are located in the extreme north. Such residences also occur widely in other areas of Britain.

Sites that may fall under this category in Buckinghamshire range from those known only from historical sources, such as the palace of the Black Prince in Princes Risborough and that of Edward the Confessor in Brill, to the gatehouse at Boarstall, all that remains of a great house there.