With this demonstrable long history, Otford Palace, which is designated as an Ancient monument, is unquestionably a Heritage site of National significance

First gift of land
791 AD

In 791 (or possibly in the preceding year) Offa, the King of Mercia, gave lands at Otford to Christ Church Canterbury (the 'vill by the name of Otford').
Read moreA further gift of Land
821 AD

Further gifts of land were made in 820 and 821. The first, by Coenwulf, the Mercian King and son of Offa and in the following year by Ceolwulf, his brother and successor, who donated to Otford lands bordering the East bank of the River Darent between Shoreham and today's Bat and Ball.
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Duke William visits on his way to London
1066 AD

William the Conqueror recuperated at The Ruined Tower during his march on London
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Archbishop Lanfranc 1070-1089
1072 AD

In 1066 Lanfranc became the first Abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Étienne at Caen in Normandy. He was a close friend of Duke William (William the Conqueror) and subsequently exercised a perceptible influence on his master's policy.
Read moreDomesday Book
1086 AD
By the Domesday Survey in 1086, the land at Otteford owned six watermills and a large demesne farm locally, worked by tenants who were bound to the land, though over the centuries their obligations were gradually changed to monetary rents, and the lives and status of many of the tenant farmers improved significantly.
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St. Thomas Becket
1162 AD

Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury (1162–1170) it is said, particularly liked staying at Otford, which he did several times over the next eight years.
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Baldwin of Forde, Archbishop of Canterbury 1184-90
1184 AD

Baldwin of Forde was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1184 and 1190. The son of a clergyman, he studied canon law and theology at Bologna and was tutor to Pope Eugene III's nephew before returning to England to serve successive bishops of Exeter. He was appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury in December 1184.
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Archbishop Stephen Langton 1207-1229
1207 AD

Following the death of Archbishop Hubert Walter in 1205, there was a prolonged dispute between King John, the monks of Christ Church, Canterbury, and Pope Innocent III over who should succeed him. Stephen Langton was eventually elected Archbishop of Canterbury by the monks of Christ Church in December 1206, and he was consecrated by the Pope in 1207.
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Edmund of Abingdon Archbishop 1234-1240
1234 AD

Edmund of Abingdon, also known as Edmund Rich, St Edmund of Canterbury, Edmund of Pontigny was one of the seven Archbishops of Canterbury who were canonised.
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John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury 1279-92
1279 AD

John Peckham was a native of Sussex who was educated at Lewes Priory and became a Friar Minor about 1250.
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Robert Winchelsea, Archbishop of Canterbury 1293-1306 and 1308-1313
1293 AD

Robert Winchelsey was elected as the successor to Archbishop Petcham.
Read moreChapel Built
1313 AD
The Chapel (18 metres long) was built in the Decorated style with, "a lavish interior"
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Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Canterbury 1314-27
1314 AD

Walter Reynolds was Bishop of Worcester and then Archbishop of Canterbury as well as Lord High Treasurer and Lord Chancellor.
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Archbishop Reynold’s flight
1326 AD
As darkness fell in the evening of the 15th October 1326, a party of horsemen slipped out of a rear entrance of Lambeth Palace, on the bank of the Thames opposite Westminster. In the midst of the party was Walter Reynolds, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
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John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury 1333-48
1333 AD

On 3 November 1333 Stratford was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and resigned as chancellor in the following year; however, he held this office again from 1335 to 1337 and for about two months in 1340.
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Escape The Plague
1348 AD

Edward III brought his whole court here to spend Christmas away from The Black Death in London.
Read moreDinner is Served
1382 AD

The Great Hall (31 metres long and 12 metres wide) was built to seat 200 at dinner
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John Stafford, Archbishop of Canterbury 1443-1452
1443 AD

John Stafford was made Archbishop of Canterbury in May 1443 by Pope Eugene IV. He held the until his death on 25 May 1452. He steered an even course between parties as a moderate man and useful official.
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Thomas Bourchier Archbishop of Canterbury 1455-1486
1455 AD

Thomas Bourchier was installed as Archbishop of Canterbury on 26th January 1455 and was subsequently created a cardinal on 18th September 1467.
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John Morton, Cardinal and Archbishop of Canterbury 1486-1500
1486 AD

Cardinal John Morton (1486-1500) who had studied law at Cambridge, was imprisoned as a traitor by Richard III, escaped and fled to Flanders, returning when Henry VII took the Crown.
Read moreMedieval TripAdviser
1500 AD
The Court roll stated that Otford was, “one of the grandest houses in England”
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Henry VIII and his sister Princess Mary Tudor stay overnight at Otford Palace
1514 AD

In 1514, Cardinal Wolsey negotiated a peace treaty with France which was strengthened by the marriage of Princess Mary, the sister of Henry VIII to Louis XII of France. Louis was 30 years her senior. There was a proxy wedding at Greenwich Palace in August 1514 when Louis XII was represented by a French nobleman and the marriage was ‘consumated’ by touching of the bare legs of Princess Mary and the nobleman.
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Archbishop William Warham
1515 AD

Archbishop Warham built one of the largest palaces in England covering 1.16ha (about 4 acres), comparable in size to Hampton Court
He later wrote (Ch. Ch. Cant Register T 1526) The buildings of Otford were ruinous by neglect, but now sufficiently repaired and enlarged and a great house has been built with galleries and towers, and various new gardens have also been created.
Read moreNotable Guests
1518 AD

Erasmus and Holbein were regular guests.
Erasmus was critical of the old palace writing in 1523 (Ep 14500) Nor should I have found it very attractive before William Warham, the present Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of all England had built there on such a scale that he seemed not so much to have restored an old house as to have raised a new one from the ground, so little did he leave of the old palace beyond the walls of some hall or other and of the church.
Read moreCardinal Campeggio entertained at Otford
1518 AD

Campeggio was sent to England by Pope Leo X on the ostensible business of arranging a crusade against the Turks.
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The King Visits
1520 AD

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon stayed here en route to the Field of Cloth of Gold.
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“Bloody” Mary’s Summer Retreat
1532 AD

Princess (later Queen) Mary stayed here over two summers
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“Book of Common Prayer” Writing Begins
1534 AD

Archbishop Cranmer began work on his Book of Common Prayer at the Palace. It is believed that he finished this work before he left.
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Henry Acquires the Palace
1537 AD

Henry VIII became its owner and spent lavishly on it. However, in time, he decided that he preferred Knole House a few miles away in Sevenoaks, because it was less damp, away from the River Darent.
Read moreDescent Into Disrepair
1547 AD

After Henry's death, the Palace fell gradually into disrepair.
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Cardinal Reginald Pole takes possession
1553 AD

Reginald Pole was an English cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and the last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1556 to 1558, during the Counter Reformation. He died on influenza on 17th November 1558 - the same day as Mary I.
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Otford Palace reverts to the Crown
1559 AD

Queen Elizabeth I took possession of Otford Palace and stayed here during her Royal Progress in 1559.
Read moreSurvey of the Manor
1573 AD

Elizabeth I orders a survey of the Manor. This shows that there were 200 door keys missing – giving an indication of the size of the Palace!
In 1596 Her Commissioners reported that Otford woylde not be fytt for her majestie to lye in for that yt standeth in a verie wett soyle upon strong water continually ronninge under yt.
Robert Sydney made an offer to purchase the Palace saying that he would build a house in the Park for Elizabeth I to use.
Read moreThe Sydney Family purchase the Palace
1601 AD

Eventually, Elizabeth I, in need of money to fund her war, agreed to sell Otford Palace to Robert Sydney.
The Sydneys converted the Western side of the North Range into their private quarters.
Read moreNorth East Tower demolished
1761 AD
In 1761, the North East Tower of the Palace was demolished and the stonework carried to Knole, Sevenoaks, where it was used to build Knole Folly which lies to the South-East of Knole House.
Read moreThe creation of Castle Cottages
1900 AD
During the early years of the twentieth century, the west range between the North West Tower and the Gatehouse was converted into the present three terraced dwellings called Castle Cottages. These are Grade II* listed buildings.
Read moreNo Longer Royalty
1900 AD
By the early 1900s, the Palace and its grounds was in the ownership of Castle Farm
Read moreOld Otford – by the Vicar
1900 AD
John Hunt, who was the incumbent on St Bartholomew’s from 1878 to 1907, published his monograph “Old Otford” – by the Vicar around the turn of the Century.
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William Collier threatens to develop the site
1935 AD

Following the death of Harry Wellband, a highly successful Otford farmer and agricultural contractor, Castle Farm was sold in 1933.
Read moreThe Village mortuary
1939 AD
During the Second World War, the Gatehouse was used as the Village mortuary.
Read moreRecent use of the Gatehouse
1950 AD
After the Second World War, the Gatehouse reverted to its former use as farm storage.
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Repair Works
1960 AD
In the early 1960’s a period of extensive repair work (using cement instead of traditional mortar) was carried out. After this, the site remained untouched until 2015
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Excavating the South-East Tower
1974 AD
In 1973 work started to build four houses on Bubblestone Road on the South East corner of the Palace site.
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More Repairs Needed
2015 AD

Following much-publicised masonry falls, Sevenoaks District Council eventually carried out extensive repairs to prevent any further deterioration. These works were completed in 2017
Read moreArchbishop’s Palace Conservation Trust formed
2017 AD
The Trust was registered on 20th June 2017 with the objectives of:
- Working for the benefit of the public the preservation, restoration, maintenance, repair and improvement of the building known as the Archbishop’s Palace in Otford, Kent and
- to advance the education of the public in the history of the Archbishop’s Palace, the Tudors, the role of the Archbishops and the history of the Darent Valley by the provision of exhibitions and other learning experiences. Its registration number is 1173486.
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Study by Holly Cooper
2018 AD

Holly Cooper, a MArch student at the University of Kent, Canterbury studied the Archbishops' Palace for her final year project.
Read moreThe lease
2019 AD
Sevenoaks District Council grants a 99-year lease to the Archbishop's Palace Conservation Trust so that it can start work to conserve the Palace, create an interpretation centre for Otford and the Darent Valley and operate it as a self-sustaining community resource.
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