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BEKESBORNE PALACE

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Site of an archiepiscopal palace, built in circa 1552 for Cranmer using buildings belonging to Christchurch, Canterbury and destroyed in the Civil War; only the gatehouse, now a cottage survives. Excavations uncovered Roman settlement debris. The present house is late 18th to 19th century in date. Scheduled.

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[TR 19355553] Old Palace on site of Archiepiscopal Palace [NR] (1)

A cottage and barn in the grounds of The Old Palace, Bekesbourne, was
the gatehouse of Archbishop Cranmer's place, built in 1552, enlarged
by Archbishop Parker in the later 16th c., and demolished in the Civil War. The present house is late 18th/19th c. (2)

The cottage carries a tablet with Cranmer's initials and the date
1552. Cottage and barn, entred at TR 19375551, much restored, are in
good condition.
See GPs: AO/65/59/1-2.
The gardener reported many shallow-buried wall foundations immediately to the SW of the present house, which itself contains some short stretches of thick walling, possibly incorporated remains of the palace. (3)

Rescue excavations took place in 1976. During cutting of a drainage
trench several wall foundations and a 16th century brick-built sewer
were found. Further excavation uncovered Medieval and post Medieval
walls and some stratified pottery groups.
Excavations continued in 1977 and revealed remains of a substantial
13th-14th century L-shaped building, underlying the 16th century
palace. Much Roman occupation debris was found below the Medieval
levels including wheel-made and coarse hand-mand (?early Anglo-Saxon)
pottery. (4-6)

TR 194556. Archbishop's Palace, Bekesbourne. Scheduled monument 366.The prior's apartment and adjoining chapel, the hall and the prior's dormitory and everything else except a lodge and two barns, were built during the reign of Henry 7th by Prior Thomas Goldston of
Christchurch, Canterbury. At the dissolution the estate passed to
Thomas Colepeper and then to Thomas Cranmer who made the buildings
into the Archbishop's Palace and built the gateway in 1552. The
remains of the palace are in the gardens around the house. (7)

The Old Palace, Old Palace Road, Bekesbourne.
The house itself was built by Robert Packham in the late C18. At the
east end of the south front is a C19 addition forming an L-wing.
Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533-1554, built a
Palace here in 1552, which was enlarged by Archbishop Matthew Parker
later in the C16. This was demolished during the Civil War and only
the Grade II, 16th c. gatehouse remains which is now a Cottage
adjoining on the south-east of the house known as the Old Palace.
In the west wall is a four centred stone doorway with a stone over it
inscribed "T C (Thomas Cramner) 1552". To the east of the cottage is
a red brick barn with a tiled roof with gable ends, hipped waggon
entrance and casement windows. (8)
[For full description see list].

Additional bibliography. (9-11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1a) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

MHLG (1953/11/A) December 1960 11

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 05-FEB-65

( 4) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

92 - 1976 Page(s)240-1

( 5) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

(T T Brown) 93 - 1977 Page(s)216

( 6) Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies

9 - 1978 Page(s)468

( 7) General reference

DOE(IAM) Rec Form 19.10.78

( 8) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE Listed Buildings District of City of Canterbury 1980 pp31-32

( 9) General reference

Post Medieval Architecture 12 1978 p109 (J Cherry)

(10) Council for British Archaeology: Archaeology in Britain

1977 Page(s)55-6

(11) Aerial photograph

AP CUCAP B2R 87-8 12.07.76

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