Croydon Archbishops Palace

In the civil parish of Croydon. In the historic county of Surrey (Modern Authority of London Borough of Croyden, 1974 county of Greater London).

Medieval manor house used as a summer residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury from 1273 to 1780. Became a linen factory in 1818, and a girls school in 1887. Largely C15 and C16 group of buildings, formerly the palace of the Archbishops of Canterbury. C15 Great Hall ascribed to Archbishop Stafford (d 1452), with late C14 2 storey porch with vaulted ceiling to lower chamber. Hall interior has rich C16 timber roof with 2 tiers of collar beams with moulded arch-braces to lower collars; the braces rest on wall-shafts supported by fine heraldic corbels, later tie-bemas. Three-light stone mullioned windows with 4-centred heads, continuous moulded stone cill beneath windows on both sides. West of the Hall are the state appartments, which include the first floor "Guard Room", now the school library. The room is ascribed to Archbishop Arundel (1353-1414) and has a depressed arch-braced roof with plaster ceiling to shape and late C14 carved stone corbels supporting the principal collar-beams. Fine 4-light canted mullioned and transomed bay window, fireplace with damaged bolection-moulded surround and late C17 overmantel with segmental pediment signs of earlier overmantel beneath. Gallery at west with re-set Laudian altar rail, the room behind the gallery contains some exposed C16 or C17 panelling and an oak ceiling with elaborate roll-moulded joists. Two fine staircases of heavy early C17 type with balustrades and newel-posts with ball tops. Chapel divided into 4 bays. Five windows a side with flat heads, and of 5 lights with 4-centred heads. Seven-light east window with a shallow triangular head. Depressed tie-beam roof with ribbed and panelled timber ceiling. Fixed stalls to walls with fine C17 bench-ends and panelling to walls continued across western portion of chapel openwork screen with double doors. Elaborate corner gallery with panelled front. Old stone font from a church in Southwark. The fine altar rails are now in the Guard Room. The exterior of the whole palace is of stone or C16 red brick, with early stone windows or Georgian sashes. The whole building is one of exceptional interest, both internally and externally and has many additional features of note.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ31966540

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 404083
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 222903 '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.friendsofoldpalace.org/
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p320-25, 329-3
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p171
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby) p131, 137, 156
    1912, VCH Surrey Vol4 p206-13
    Morewood, Caroline C., 1910, 'Introductory Chapter' in Rait, R.S. (ed), English Episcopal Palaces (Province of Canterbury) (London; Constable & Co) p4-5 http://www.archive.org/details/engepiscopalaces00raituoft
    Anderson, J.C., 1882, A Short Chronicle concerning the parish of Croydon (London) Chap9
    Anderson, J.C., 1879, The Archiepiscopal Palace at Croydon (London)
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p153-5
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p309
    Pugin, A., 1850, Pugin's Examples of Gothic Architecture (London: Henry and Bohn) Vol1
    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
    Durcarel, A.C., 1790, 'History and antiquities of Croydon' in Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica Vol2
• Journal Articles
  • Chadwick, A.M. and Phillpotts, C., 2002, 'The archbishop's "great stable": excavations and historical research at the Old Palace School, Croydon' Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol89 p27-52
    Drewett, P., 1971, 'The Archiepiscopal Palace at Croydon; a further contributuion in the light of recent excavations' The Archaeological Journal Vol128 p162-65
    Parkin, E.W., 1971, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol86 p15-24
    Faulkner, P.A., 1970, 'Some medieval archiepiscopal palaces' The Archaeological Journal Vol127 p130-46 [p133-5]
    Oswald, A., 1965 April, Country Life
    Flethcher, B. and Hobson, J.M., 1911, Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol24 p81-91
    Hobson, J.M., 1909, The Reliquary Vol15 p225-39
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#surrey9]
• 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 ]
    Walder, E.A., 1990, 'Croyden Palace in its context to 1500' MA thesis, St David's University College, University of Wales