Chartham Archbishops Palace

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; The Deanery

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

Archbishop's palace listed by Payne as Chartham, who references Thompson's list. Payne gives a map reference of TQ756677, which is the town Chatham, in the see of Rochester. Chartham is a village 4 miles west of Canterbury at TR108549. Hasted writes of Archbishop Robert Winchelsea (c. 1245-1313) "He was a man of great resolution, as appears by his conduct duriing his diffentions with the king, to whom refusing to be reconciled, and his revenues being withheld, he discharged his family, left the city, and withdrew himself to Chartham, from whence he rode every Sunday and holiday, and preached in adjoining churches." There is a C14 manor house of Christchurch Priory at Chartham called the Deanery (PastScape record 948975) and it may be that the archbishop resided in the precursor to this building whilst effectively excluded from the official residences of the see. Without his retinue (familia) the residence would not have needed to be large, nor would the archbishop need to move around.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TR10065509

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 948975
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is MKE24266TR 15 NW 53 '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
  • Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p171
    Hasted, Edward, 1801, The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent Vol12 p375 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63700
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc.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 ]