A FEW miles south of Taunton, but seemingly in another world from this busy county town, a narrow and winding lane leads to Poundisford. In the medieval period—in fact, from before the Conquest—this belonged to the distant, but immensely wealthy Bishops of Winchester, lords of Taunton Castle. Their ownership effectively ended in the 16th century, but traces remain of the associated deer park the bishops enclosed in 1205, which was some three miles in circumference. Enough evidence remains to show that it was encircled by an enormous bank, more than 6ft high and, at 23ft wide, well able to support a roadway along the top.
In 1534, the park was divided into two parts and leased out. The northern half went to Roger Hill, a local merchant, and was developed with what is now Poundisford Lodge, probably enlarging an existing structure built by the bishop. The southern, which was initially leased to one John Soper, is thought to have come into the possession of Hill’s son William at about the time of Roger’s death in 1546. It had no house on it, but, at some
