Croydon Palace Walk

Croydon Palace

Croydon Old Palace - Friday 1st April 2016

Squashed between a major road, a factory and Victorian terraces and overshadowed by an ugly glass office block is a Grade I listed hall dating back to the 14th century - this is Croydon’s Old Palace. Formerly home to the Archbishop’s of Canterbury and once surrounded by fishponds and three rivers, excellent deer hunting and horse racing, it attracted Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I on several occasions.

It is now a school and only open to the public during school holidays. The building has suffered many changes since the C14th and this can be seen in the remaining buildings, with blocked up windows and doors, new stairs and changes in brickwork.

Still to be seen is the magnificent Great Hall, a guard room, a chapel and a long gallery leading from Queen Elizabeth's bedroom We were asked not to film indoors so if you want to see what it is like, you will have to visit during the next holiday when regular tours are given by volunteer Friends of Croydon Palace.

Click on an image below to see a larger version - you can then move forward or back using the arrows on either side.

The tour began in the Great Hall .
Button
From this view of the connecting building below can be glimpsed the adjacent sixth form block.
Button
The oldest doorway in the Palace, dating back to the 1300s, which is on the opposite side of the Hall.
Button
Button
Various parts of the Palace exterior with the back of our slightly younger Chairman in the picture above.
Button
Button
The Palace Chapel with many interesting wood carvings. To its right is the church of St. John the Baptist, which is relatively modern, its predecessor having largely burnt down in 1867.
Button
Also modern is thisblock which forms part of the School as does the converted factory, dating from 1825, on the extreme righ, now the Sixth Form.
Button
A model made in the School showing the original extent of the old Palace with extant buildings having red roofs.

Button