Woking Palace

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Old Hall

In the civil parish of Woking. In the historic county of Surrey (Modern Authority of Surrey, 1974 county of Surrey).

Remains of the moated site of Woking Palace. This unusually large moated site was a royal residence from at least 1272. It was used by Edward IV and Henry VIII. The moat has no southern arm, as the southern side of the site is defined by the River Wey. A submerged timber structure was discovered in the river, at the eastern end of the site, in 1996. It is believed to have been a wharf contemporary with the moated site. On the western side of the site, the moat has a slight outer bank and a substantial inner bank, with, in turn, an inner, narrower moat. Water was directed from this inner moat into two parallel fishponds, then onto a third, now partly infilled, fishpond, and finally into an internal projection of the moat which led northwards from the centre of the site to the main moat circuit. There is a causeway entrance in the middle of the eastern arm. In the centre of the moat stands a stone building with C14 doorway and a brick barrel vault.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ02965704

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 394104
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 463; 15096 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.woking-palace.org/
    http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/GetRecord/SHHER_463
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p383-4
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Surrey (Malvern) p24
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press) p76, 79, 83, 161, 189, 193
    Jones, Michael K. and Underwood, Malcolm, 1992, The King's Mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (Cambridge University Press) p47, 52, 54, 66, 82, 94, 96, 138-42, 146, 264
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p344-8
    Pevsner, N., 1962, The Buildings of England: Surrey (London, Penguin) p336
    Clinch and Montgomerie, 1911, Malden, H.E. (ed), VCH Surrey Vol3 p382-3
• Journal Articles
  • Hawkins, Nancy, 1986, 'Woking Palace or Old Hall, Old Woking, Scheduled Ancient Monument No 125' Surrey Archaeol Collect Vol77 p240
    Haggard, D.J., 1958, Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol55 p124-6
    Godwin-Austen, R.A.C., 1880, Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol7 p44-9 [plan]
• Guidebooks
  • Woking Palace, Henry VIII's Royal Palace (Friends of Woking Palace)
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Woking Palace CD (Friends of Woking Palace)