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Greenwich Palace
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Grenewych; Estgrenewich
In the civil parish of Greenwich.
In the historic county of Kent (Modern Authority of London Borough of Greenwich, 1974 county of Greater London).
Royal palace in Greenwich Park. A manor house was documented on this site since the early Medieval period. A house was extent in 1268 and was demolished in 1433 to make way for the palace, which was completed in 1439. Alterations took place in 1447-52. The palace comprised two courts and a hedged garden. Alterations were also carried out during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. The palace was demolished in C17 to make way for a new palace which was not completed. licensed in 1433. PastScape record reads "Castle in Greenwich Park. It was constructed in 1433 on the site now occupied by the the Old Royal Observatory. This is a prominent location on a scarp edge, still known as Castle Hill in 1695. The castle was demolished when the Royal Observatory was constructed in 1675 and can be reconstructed only through contemporary illustrations and excavation. The castle was thought to originally comprise a moated tower. It was enlarged in 1525-26 to include a second tower and gate lodge. Further building work was undertaken in the early C17. An illustration dated to 1637 shows the castle as an elegant crenellated house, with tall brick chimneys and at least two towers. The Tudor gate house may be identifiable with a two or three storey building attached to one side of the main structure. An archaeological survey by RCHME field staff between 1993-94 located no earthworks or other features identified with the castle."
This site has been described as a;
Palace
Masonry Castle.
The confidence
that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.
A Royal licence
to crenellate was
granted in 1433 Jan 30.
A Confirmation licence
to crenellate was
granted in 1437 March 6.
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ38857735
PastScape number;
404337
County Sites and Monuments Record number; 070248
Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p248
Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern) p45
Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p14
Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press)
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p238 [reject]
Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p96-123
Dixon, Philip, 1972, Excavations at Greenwich Palace 1970-1971: an interim report
Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p949-50
RCHME, 1930, Inventory of Historic Monuments in London Vol5: East London (HMSO) p25, 26, 168
Chalkley Gould and Downham, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Kent Vol1 p379
Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p120-8
Hasted, Edward, 1778-99, A History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol1 p19
Journal Articles
- Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p320
Dixon, P., 1971, London Archaeologist Vol10 p219-22
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents
- This section is far from complete and the secondary
sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Calendar of Patent Rolls (1429-36) p250
Calendar of Patent Rolls (1436-41) p74
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
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