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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 65 NW 252
Type of record:Listed Building
Name:THE OLD PALACE

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1500 to 1599. 16th/17th century, incorporating part of remains of pre 1184 Archbishops Palace


Grid Reference:TQ 61283 59159
Map Sheet:TQ65NW
Parish:WROTHAM, TONBRIDGE AND MALLING, KENT

Monument Types

  • ARCHBISHOPS PALACE (HOUSE, Medieval - 1184 AD to 1500 AD)
  • HOUSE (Medieval to Modern - 1500 AD to 2050 AD)
Protected Status:Listed Building (II*) 1236308: THE OLD PALACE

Full description

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Description from record TQ 65 NW 29 :
[TQ 61275917] The Palace [NR] (Remains of) (1) The Palace at Wrotham adjoined the east side of the churchyard. There are hardly any remains of the house itself though there is a large stone building once part of the Palace offices probably used by the Byng family as a house. A gateway has their arms upon it and in the field adjoining the ruins are traces of garden-walks, a bowling green and the terrace round it. [Authy. quotes a 1719 account which describes the Palace as having been used by the Archbishops of Canterbury until 1350 when it was partly demolished to build the Palace at Maidstone. The account gives a description of the death of Archbishop Richard shortly after sleeping at Wrotham in 1184.] (2) Remains of the Palace buildings consist of the external wall of a part of a range of buildings running east-west and at the east end the commencement of a north-south building. This latter part is still an open shell. The south side has been built up into a private residence in the 16c. or 17c. Mullioned windows of moulded narrow brick have been inserted into the thick stone rubble walls. The chimneys are decorative features in brick. The gabled roofs are covered with red tiles. Within the house are the original oak floors and roof timbers. Beyond a lean-to shed at the west end of the house, the south wall continues as a low garden wall as far as the drive. The owner, Mrs. Garner, who confirmed the name, said that foundations of a wall east of and parallel to the east wall of the ruinous building had been recently encountered in the flower beds. She believed them to be of the Palace itself, which, she stated, stood on this side. The gateway (mentioned by Authority 2) was demolished by the Nettlefold family before the war, she added. Published Atiquity model survey found to be correct. GP/AO/59/188/5 from SW : 188/6 from NE. (3) Checked and correct. (4) TQ 6059-6159 WROTHAM C.P. BULL LANE The Old Palace (formerly Listed as Remains of Archbishop's Palace) GRADE II* House, possibly the former kitchen wing of the long-demolished Archbishop's Palace. C16, incorporating parts of pre-1340 date. Coursed ragstone on wide ragstone plinth. Some windows with early C16 red brick dressings, some replaced by stone dressings. Plain tiled roof with return gable off-centre to left. End stack at right, off-ridge stack behind gable with coupled octagonal stacks, probably C16, and slope stack at left end. 2 storeys and attics; irregular fenestration. 1 window on each floor under gable, 2 windows on both floors to left, 1 window on both floors at extreme right-hand end. Square-headed doorway, with doubled glazed doors, on ground-floor to right of gable. at right-hand end is a 2-storey ruin with 1 blocked window on each floor facing south, the whole obviously originally taller. Blocked window of early C13 character behind. The Palace was used by the Archbishops of Canterbury as a resting-place on the way to London, but it was demolished and used as a granary in the building of Maidstone Palace. Ruins restored as a manor house by the Byng family during the C16. See J Newman, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, 1969, p.592. (5) Archbishop's Palace, Wrotham. Remains east of the church. The palace was said to have been largely pulled down in the 14th century to build the new palace at Maidstone. The present building, of ragstone blocks has no original feature. The ruined extension at the east end ran further north than the main part. (6)
Additional bibliography (not consulted). (8)

In 2012 an evaluation at The Old Palace, to the northeast of the standing building, found the remains of a Tudor wall, a post hole and traces of an earlier phase of stone robbing. The Tudor features relate to the east wing of the standing building, which was destroyed by fire in the 1920s. (1)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ6059-6159 WROTHAM C.P. BULL LANE 7/34 1.8.52 The Old Palace (formerly Listed as Remains of Archbishop's Palace)
II*
House, possibly the former kitchen wing of the long-demolished Archbishop's Palace. C16, incorporating parts of pre-1340 date. Coursed ragstone on wide ragstone plinth. Some windows with early C16 red brick dressings, some replaced by stone dressings. Plain tiled roof with return gable off-centre to left. End stack at right, off-ridge stack behind gable with coupled octagonal stacks, probably C16, and slope stack at left end. 2 storeys and attics; irregular fenestration. 1 window on each floor under gable, 2 windows on both floors to left, I window on both floors at extreme right-hand end. Square-headed doorway, with doubled glazed doors, on ground-floor to right of gable. At right-hand end is a 2-storey ruin with 1 blocked window on each floor facing south, the whole obviously originally taller. Blocked window of early C13 character behind. The palace was used by the Archbishops of Canterbury as a resting-place on the way to London, but it was demolished and used as a granary in the building of Maidstone palace. Ruins restored as a manor house by the Byng family during the C16. See J Newman, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, 1969, p.592. Listing NGR: TQ6128259156 (13)


<1> OS 6" 1936 (OS Card Reference). SKE48337.

<2> Harris 1719 (OS Card Reference). SKE43692.

<3> Home Counties Mag 7 1905 263ff (A Nettlefold) (OS Card Reference). SKE44168.

<4> F1 ASP 25.06.59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42274.

<5> F2 FGA 27.02.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43334.

<6> DOE (HHR) Dist of Tonbridge & Malling Kent May 1984 27 (OS Card Reference). SKE40392.

<7> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 618 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37932.

<8> Wratham Conservation Study (OS Card Reference). SKE51403.

<9> KARU TM 63 (OS Card Reference). SKE45637.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 65 NW 29 - June, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3368.

<11> Field report for monument TQ 65 NW 29 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3369.

<12> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, The Old Palace, Wrotham, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE17876.

<13> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: OS 6" 1936.
<2>OS Card Reference: Harris 1719.
<3>OS Card Reference: Home Counties Mag 7 1905 263ff (A Nettlefold).
<4>OS Card Reference: F1 ASP 25.06.59.
<5>OS Card Reference: F2 FGA 27.02.64.
<6>OS Card Reference: DOE (HHR) Dist of Tonbridge & Malling Kent May 1984 27.
<7>OS Card Reference: Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 618 (J Newman).
<8>OS Card Reference: Wratham Conservation Study.
<9>OS Card Reference: KARU TM 63.
<10>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 65 NW 29 - June, 1959.
<11>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 65 NW 29 - February, 1964.
<12>Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 2011. The Old Palace, Wrotham, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation Report.
<13>XYMap: English Heritage. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. [Mapped feature: #36154 Building, ]