Richard II, Henry Yevele and a New Royal Mansion on the Thames

A payment to a mason sent to Richard II in Ireland in December 1394 provides evidence of a proposal to build a new or substantially new royal residence at Isleworth, Surrey. The mansion was presumably intended as a replacement for the palace of Sheen, shortly to be demolished on the king's orders. The mason carried with him a model prepared by Henry Yevele and Hugh Herland. This entry in the issue rolls of the Exchequer thus offers an interesting perspective on Richard's domestic plans following Queen Anne's death at Sheen, and rare documentation of the use of architectural models in late medieval England. Further, it offers some support for the view that Yevele was actively involved in design work in the 1390s, and that Richard took a close interest in royal building projects. © 2002, The Society of Antiquaries of London. All rights reserved.