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CHARING PALACE

ALTERNATIVE NAME:  PALACE FARMHOUSE
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An archbishops palace, associated buildings and precinct, set back from Charing High Street to the north of the parish church. Land on which to build a house or palace in Charing was given to Christchurch priory at Canterbury in AD 788 by Kenulph; the land remained under the control of the priory until 1545. The buildings forming the palace complex surround a quadrangle which is entered from the south through the original gateway. The barn to the east of the courtyard dates from the
14th century, and was originally the Great Hall. The farmhouse was begun in the 13th century, but underwent alterations in the 16th and 18th centuries. It was originally part of the north range of the quadrangle, and includes part of the chapel in its north west corner. All that remains of the western side of the courtyard is an outhouse dating from the 14th century. Numbers 1 and 2, Palace Cottages form the south side of the quadrangle, along with the gatehouse. They all date from the 14th century and comprise the gatehouse and porter's lodge, also thought to have been built by John Stratford. Much of the precinct boundary wall is also still standing around the palace enclosure on the north, east and south sides, while on the west the original wall has been rebuilt more recently. The medieval wall stands to a height of between 1.5m and 2m in some places, and was built in flint and mortar. Within the paddocks inside the precinct boundary wall are a number of low earthworks which are associated with the palace buildings. Henry VIII acquired the palace through exchange with Cranmer in 1545. There is no evidence that he made any alterations to the buildings, and no subsequent monarch made any use of the manor house, but let it out to farm. In 1559 Archbishop Parker made an attempt to become the tenant and farmer of the estate, but he was outbid by Sir Richard Sackville, and the estate passed into private ownership.

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