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Bishop Charles Este, born in
London in 1696, commissioned the renowned architect, Richard Castle, to
design and build this building, described as one of the largest and
finest episcopal buildings in Ireland. The building work was begun in
the early 1740's but when Este died in 1745 the palace was unfinished
and his successor, Bishop Chevenix turned to John Roberts to complete
the work. The renowned architectural historian Mark Girouard has
described it as being "built of beautifully cut limestone ashlar
and [it] has the handsome reticence of the best Irish Georgian architecture." The thirteenth-century city wall that ran along the
edge of the property was incorporated into the formal stepped gardens
that were a feature of the palace. The palace is now home to the
engineering section of Waterford Corporation.
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