Lambeth Palace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lambeth Palace |
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Lambeth Palace, photographed looking east across the River Thames. Visible are the 15th-century Lollards' Tower at left, the Great Hall (with cupola) at centre, the late 15th-century brick gatehouse towards the right, and the 14th-century tower of St Mary-at-Lambeth on the far right.
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| Type | Archbishop's palace |
| Location | Lambeth, London |
| Architectural style(s) | Tudor |
| Owner | See of Canterbury |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Lambeth Palace | |
| Designated | 19 October 1951 |
| Reference no. | 1116399 |
| Official name: Lambeth Palace | |
| Designated | 1 October 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1000818 |
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Lambeth Palace is the official home in London for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop is the main leader of the Church of England. The palace is located in north Lambeth, London, right on the south bank of the River Thames. It's about 400 meters south-east of the Palace of Westminster, where the UK Parliament meets.
The land for the palace was first bought by the Church around the year 1200. This was because the Archbishop needed a place to stay in London, even though his main home was in Canterbury.
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History of Lambeth Palace
The Archbishop of Canterbury's main home used to be in Canterbury, Kent. But around 1200 AD, the Church bought a piece of land in London called the Manor of Lambeth. This place has been the Archbishop's London home ever since.
The palace is bordered by Lambeth Palace Road and Lambeth Road. The area around the palace, especially the south bank of the Thames, used to be very low and wet. It was even called Lambeth Marsh. People often traveled to and from the palace by boat on the river.
In 1381, during the Peasants' Revolt, the palace was attacked.
Oldest Parts of the Palace
The oldest part of Lambeth Palace that is still standing is the chapel. It was built in an early Gothic style. The Lollards' Tower was built between 1435 and 1440. It was used as a prison in the 1600s, and you can still see signs of this today.
The main front of the palace is a brick gatehouse built in the early Tudor style. It was finished in 1495 by Cardinal John Morton.
Famous Fig Trees
There's a fig tree in the palace courtyard. People say it grew from a cutting of a very old fig tree planted by Cardinal Pole centuries ago. In the late 1700s, there were three old fig trees here. They were known for their delicious fruit.
The Great Hall
During the English Civil War, in the 1600s, soldiers loyal to Oliver Cromwell badly damaged the palace. They even took away building materials from the great hall.
After the war, Archbishop William Juxon completely rebuilt the great hall in 1663. He chose a special type of roof called a "hammerbeam roof." This style looked like older Gothic roofs and showed that the Church was returning to its traditions after the war. The writer Samuel Pepys described it as "a new old-fashioned hall."
Architecture and Art
Lambeth Palace is considered a very important building for its architecture. Its tall, crenellated gatehouse looks a bit like the one at Hampton Court Palace. However, Morton's Gatehouse was built much earlier, in the 1490s. The oldest part of the palace is the Water Tower (also called Lollards' Tower), which is made of stone and brick.
Inside the palace, you can find portraits of past Archbishops. These include works by famous artists like Hans Holbein, Anthony van Dyck, William Hogarth, and Sir Joshua Reynolds.
In 1834, new parts were added to the palace by Edward Blore. He also helped rebuild Buckingham Palace. These new sections were built in a neo-Gothic style and form a large courtyard. Today, these buildings are the home of the Archbishop.
Lambeth Palace Library
Inside the palace grounds is the Lambeth Palace Library. This is the official library of the Archbishop of Canterbury and holds many important records of the Church of England. It's known as one of the largest religious collections outside of the Vatican.
Archbishop Richard Bancroft started the library in 1610. For a long time, it was located within the main palace buildings. But in 2021, a brand new building for the library opened. It's at the far end of the palace gardens, with its entrance on Lambeth Palace Road.
The library has a huge collection of materials about church history. This includes records from the Archbishops going all the way back to the 1100s. It also has documents from other church groups and missionary societies. Some of its oldest manuscripts date back to the 800s! The library also holds over 120,000 printed books.
The collections cover many interesting topics, from art and architecture to the history of the Commonwealth. It's also a great place to find information for local history and genealogy (family history).
Highlights of the Library Collection
Some of the most special items in the library include:
- Mac Durnan Gospels (from the late 800s or early 900s)
- The Romanesque Lambeth Bible (from the 1100s)
- Book of Hours of King Richard III (from the mid-1400s)
- A very rare copy of the Gutenberg Bible (from the 1450s)
- Lambeth Choirbook (from the 1500s)
St Mary-at-Lambeth Church
Right outside the palace gatehouse is the old church of St Mary-at-Lambeth. The church tower was built in 1377. The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1851.
Inside, you can find old tombs of famous gardeners, John Tradescant the elder and his son John Tradescant the younger. There's also the tomb of Admiral William Bligh, who was known for the mutiny on the Bounty.
St Mary's Church stopped being used for services in 1972. In 1977, it became the Garden Museum, celebrating the history of gardening.
During renovations in 2016, a hidden crypt was found. It contained 30 coffins, including those of five past Archbishops of Canterbury.
Resident Community
Lambeth Palace is also home to the Community of Saint Anselm. This is a special group of young Christians from around the world who live and pray together for a year, under the guidance of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Images for kids
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Map of 1897, showing the palace opposite the river from Westminster Palace, with Lambeth Bridge and Westminster Bridge crossing the river
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The Guard Room
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The great hall with Cardinal Pole's fig tree in front
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Lambeth Palace from the south c. 1685
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Lambeth Palace main entrance
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The 19th-century range
See also
- Old Palace, Canterbury, the Archbishop's home in Canterbury
- List of palaces
