Wrotham Archbishops Palace

Description

House, C16-C17, incorporating part of remains of pre 1184 Archbishops Palace. The palace was used by the Archbishops of Canterbury as a resting-place on the way to London, but it was demolished and used as a granary in the building of Maidstone palace. Ruins restored as a manor house by the Byng family during the C16.

The Old Palace. House, possibly the former kitchen wing if the long-demolished Archbishop's Palace. C16, incorporating parts of pre-1340 date. Coursed ragstone on wide ragstone plinth. Some windows with early C16 red brick dressings, some replaced by stone dressings. Plain tiled roof with return gable off-centre to left. End stack at right, off-ridge stack behind gable with coupled octagonal stacks, probably C16, and slope stack at left end. 2 storeys and attics; irregular fenestration. 1 window on each floor under gable, 2 windows on both floors to left, I window on both floors at extreme right-hand end. Square-headed doorway, with doubled glazed doors, on ground-floor to right of gable. At right-hand end is a 2-storey ruin with 1 blocked window on each floor facing south, the whole obviously originally taller. Blocked window of early C13 character behind. The palace was used by the Archbishops of Canterbury as a resting-place on the way to London, but it was demolished and used as a granary in the building of Maidstone palace. Ruins restored as a manor house by the Byng family during the C16. (Listed Building Report)

The archbishops had very antiently a palace here, in which they frequently resided till the time of archbishop Simon Islip, who came to the see in the 23d year of king Edward III. who having a desire to finish the palace at Maidstone, which John Ufford his predecessor had begun, and wanting materials for that purpose, pulled down the greatest part of this house, and transported the materials thither, in which situation, the manor, with the remains of it, continued till the reign of king Henry VIII. when Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, in the 29th year of it, conveyed it, as well as all his estates whatsoever in this parish, except the church of Wrotham, and its appendages, to that king. THE PALACE stood adjoining to the east side of the church yard, there are hardly any remains left of the house itself, though there is a large substantial stone building, once part of the offices belonging to the palace, and in which I imagine the Byngs dwelt, whilst in possession of this manor and estate, a gateway here having still their arms remaining carved in stone on it. In the field behind the ruins are marks of the garden, a bowling-green and terras round it, still plainly visible. (Hasted)