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GREENWICH PALACE

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

PALACE OF PLACENTIA

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The site of Greenwich Palace or the Tudor Palace of Placentia, a royal palace built by Henry VII on the site of an early medieval manor house. The 15th century manor house was built in 1433-9 and various alterations were carried out in 1447-52. Henry VII carried out further work in 1500-1 creating the royal palace. Henry VIII was born at Greenwich palace on 28th June 1491 and during his reign, Greenwich Palace was on an equal standing with his other great palaces of Eltham, Richmond, Hampton Court and Oatlands. Five of his queens also held court at Greenwich. He built a recreational area at the palace which included stables, a tennis court, cockpit and a tiltyard for jousting. Here, Henry spent much time indulging in his favourite sports and pastimes.

In the 17th century the Tudor palace was demolished to make way for a new palace. In 1616 a new palatial building, The Queen's House, was begun by James I to a design by Inigo Jones for Queen Anne of Denmark. In 1662 Charles II commissioned John Webb to design a new palace and to repair and enlarge the Queen's House. This resulted in the demolition of the Tudor palace and construction of King's House. This was the first phase of a large palace which was never completed. The King's House represented the last royal residence at Greenwich, as royal interest was now directed at Hampton Court. In the latter part of the 17th century the King's House and adjoining land was converted into a Naval Hospital.

The original Tudor Greenwich Palace consisted of two brick and timber courts with a hedged garden. The Queen's accommodation of a great chamber, parlour and gallery looked over this garden. Excavations have uncovered the remains of a riverside range, the Royal Chapel and the undercroft of the Great Hall. A Time Team excavation in 2003 also found the foundations of Henry VIII's tiltyard.

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[TQ 38587799] Site of GREENWICH PALACE [GT]
[TQ 38477799] LANDING PLACE [GT] (Site of)
[TQ 38367783] ROYAL STABLE [GT] (Site of)
[TQ 38627804] PALACE CHAPEL [GT] (Site of)
[TQ 38697785] TILT YARD [GT] (Site of)
[TQ 38697782] THE TURRET [GT] (Site of)
[TQ 38607800] Undercroft - part of 16th century palace
[TQ 38597795] Foundations of old palace. (Section in possession of F.J.B) (1-5)

A manor house has been present on this site since the early medieval period, with documentary references to a house 'The Old Court' situated near the river. Under the ownership of the Abbot of Ghent (1268) it was described as having a court and accommodation suitable for visiting prelates. The house was demolished in 1433 when licences were granted to the owner, Humphery, Duke of Gloucester for the construction of a mansion 'crennelled and embattled' and enclosed with walls. A tower was also built (NAR no TQ 37 NE 5). By 1439 the building was completed. Extensive alterations were carried out by Robert Kettlewell (1447-52). The buildings were of brick and timber comprising of two courts; the Queen's accommodation included a great chamber, a parlour and a gallery overlooking the garden. The garden was hedged and contained an arbour. Many alterations took place during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, including it's name to Placentia, parts of which survive incorporated into one of the houses on Part Vista (NAR no. TQ 37 NE 37). A new riverside range was added, this was identified during the 1970-71 excavations. These buildings remained relatively unchanged until demolition in the 17th century to make way for a new palace which was never completed.
Please note that a comprehensive description of the palace is in the History of the King's Works. (6-8)

Remains of the undercroft have been found beneath the Naval Hospital. this formed the substructure of the Great Hall, the eastern section has the original window openings present. (9)

Archaeologists from the Museum of London have found the only known surviving floor of a Royal Tudor Chapel of Greenwich Palace or the Palace of Placentia. Henry VIII, Elizabeth and Mary were all born at Greenwich. Remains of Tudor stonework was retrieved both the Chapel, the adjoining vestry and the old river frontage. (10)

Henry VIII improved the house left by his father Henry VII and added a recreational area which reflected his love for sports, hunting and jousting. This included a tiltyard and tiltyard towers, tennis courts, a cockpit. (11)

The Time Team dug various trenches to find the earlier remains of the Tudor palace which now lies under the former Royal Naval College. Their investigations located both the armoury and the tiltyard and its associated banqueting hall and Tudor other buildings. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25" 1916

(2) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1930 An inventory of the historical monuments in London. Vol.V: east London

5 Page(s)26,168

(3) edited by William Page 1908 The Victoria history of the county of Kent, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)379

(4) General reference

Greater London AS 4, 1954 Page(s)310-311

(5) Annotated Record Map

Corr 6" (E Birchenough 1.3.60)

(6) Land Use Consultants 1986 Greenwich Park : historical survey

Page(s)5-6

(7) by H M Colvin ... [et al] 1982 The history of the King's Works, volume 4 : 1485-1660 (Part 2)

Pt 2 Page(s)96-123

(8) London Archaeologist Association The London archaeologist

(P Dixon) 1, 10 (1971) Page(s)219-22

(9) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1930 An inventory of the historical monuments in London. Vol.V: east London

Page(s)25

(10) World Wide Web page

BBC Online. 2009. London's subterranean treasures, http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/01/30/kurt_barling_subterranean_treasures_feature.shtml [Accessed 20-MAY-2009]

(11) Simon Thurley 1993 The royal palaces of Tudor England : architecture and court life

Page(s)48, 190-191

(12) World Wide Web page

Time Team. 2003. Greenwich Palace, http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/2003_greenwich.html [Accessed 22-MAY-2009]

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