Maidstone Archbishops Palace

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Maideston

In the civil parish of Maidstone. In the historic county of Kent (Modern Authority of Kent, 1974 county of Kent).

Leland c1540 mentions a castle 'well maintained by the Archbishop of Canterbury'. Leland possibly referring to the fortified manor house Mote Place (qv), although palace more likely. Palace was constructed between 1346-66, enlarged in 1486 and the latter half of C16. The existing remains are mainly C16 but as a high status building it is likely that the C14 palace had some defensive features.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ75935544

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 415124
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is TQ 75 NE 35; MKE29458 '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.

• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p320-25, 370-3
    Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern) p56
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p171
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p237
    Newman, John, 1980, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald p405-6
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p306
    Beale Post, 1856, History of the college of All Saints, Maidstone
    Hasted, Edward, 1801, The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent Vol12 p524-5 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63707
    Hasted, Edward, 1798 (2edn), A History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol4 p260- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53808
• Journal Articles
  • Rigold, S.E., 1969, 'Maidstone: the archiepiscopla precinct' The Archaeological Journal Vol126 p252-4
    Goodsall, R.H., 1958, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol72 p2
    1924, The Archaeological Journal Vol81 p377
    1905, The Archaeological Journal Vol62 p185 [slight] http://www.archive.org/stream/archaeologicaljo62brit#page/185/mode/1up
    Whichcord, J., 1855, ' on the antiquities of Maidstone' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol10 p34 http://www.archive.org/stream/journalofbritish10brit#page/34/mode/1up
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/kenteng.html#kent11]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p250, 255
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol4 p47 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl04lelauoft
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Payne, Naomi, 2003, The medieval residences of the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Salisbury (PhD Thesis University of Bristol) Appendix B: List of Medieval Bishop's Palaces in England and Wales [available via http://ethos.bl.uk ]