St Augustines Abbey, Canterbury

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; The Kings House

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

Royal Palace incorporating the Abbot's Lodgings at St Augustine's Abbey. The Abbot was granted a licence to crenellate in 1308, and possibly also by King Stephen in 1135-40 (Although this is almost certainly a forgery). After the Dissolution the buildings around three sides of the Great Court were preserved and adapted for use as one of the many places set up at this time as posting houses for royal journeys. In 1539 the adaptation of the building around the Inner Court began. The propsed arrival of Ann of Cleves in December 1539 set a finish date for the work. The Abbot's Lodging on the east side of Court provided a great hall and a series of chambers for the king. The abbey kitchen remained in use but an old lodging on the south side was demolished to make space for chambers for the Queen. The court was made narrower at this time by a new wall to the north which shut off the Cellarers range and the Outer Court. The Royal Palace was not much used. From 1564 it was let to a succession of noblemen. Formal gardens were laid out by John Tradescant between 1625 and 1658. A storm in 1703 is known to have done a lot of damage to the palace. The buildings and grounds passed together through a number of hands until 1804 by which time the buildings were in a ruinous state. At this time the grounds were divided into lots and sold. The Great Court area was used as a bowling green and skittle ground and the fabric of the Great Gate itself formed part of the brewery.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 439786)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TR15415778

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 464629; 464567
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is TR 15 NE 289; TR 15 NE 124 '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.canterburytrust.co.uk/schools/keysites/staug.htm
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p309
    Gem, Richard, 1997, English Heritage book of St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury p129, 143
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press) p50, 56-7[plan], 163
    Sherlock, D. and Woods, H., 1988, St Augustine's Abbey : report on excavations, 1960-78 (Kent Archaeological Society monograph series Vol4) p10-14, 87
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works, vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p59-63
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p331-3
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p406
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol2 p287
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, Charles, 2007-8, 'On Crenellating, in Kent and Beyond - A Retrospection' The Castle Studies Group Journal Vol21 p189-201 esp p194
    Sparks, M., 1984, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol100 p325, 330, 335-6, 343-4
    Tatton-Brown, T., 1984, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol100 p181
    Sparks, M. and Tatton-Brown, T., 1983, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol99 p250
    Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Potts, R.U., 1927, Archaeological Journal Vol84 p463
    Orger, J., 1884, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol40 p25-6
• Guidebooks
  • Sparks, M., 1990, St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, Kent p12-13
    Clapham, Sir Alfred, 1955, St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, Kent p5-7
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1307-13) p144
    Regesta Regum Anglo-Normannorum Vol3 p59
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Thurley, Simon, 1991, English Royal Palaces, 1450-1550 (unpub PhD thesis; London) p256-9 [available via http://ethos.bl.uk ]