The More facts for kids

The More (also known as the Manor of the More) was a large and important palace in England during the 1500s. It was located in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. This palace became famous because Catherine of Aragon lived there after her marriage to Henry VIII was ended.

Before it belonged to the King, the palace was owned by Cardinal Wolsey, a very powerful church leader. The More was a grand place. In 1527, a French ambassador named Jean du Bellay even thought it was more impressive than Hampton Court, another famous royal palace!

An important agreement called the Treaty of the More was signed here by King Henry VIII and French representatives. Today, nothing of the original palace can be seen above ground. The area where it stood is now protected as a scheduled ancient monument, which means it's an important historical site. Some old stone pillars, possibly from the original palace, can still be found in the grounds of a nearby school.

The Palace's Story

The area where The More stood has been lived in since the 1100s. The palace itself came into Cardinal Wolsey's hands in 1515. It was part of the possessions of the Abbey of St Albans. Later, in 1531, it became property of King Henry VIII.

Life at The More

By the mid-1500s, The More was a large building, mostly made of brick. It even had a very long wooden gallery, about 4.5 meters (15 feet) wide and 77 meters (253 feet) long!

Catherine of Aragon moved into The More in the winter of 1531-1532. She lived there after her marriage to King Henry VIII was annulled, meaning it was declared invalid.

The palace was often redecorated for the King and Queen. For example, in 1534, a painter named John Hethe updated the palace with symbols of Anne Boleyn, who was Henry VIII's new queen. In 1541, the King's own bedroom was painted with beautiful blue and other fine colors. Special stained glass windows were also put in by an artist named Galyon Hone.

The palace grounds were also used for royal activities. In 1542, areas were set up for the King's archery practice. Two barns were built for deer, and there were even two special viewing stands to watch hunting events.

Why The More Disappeared

It seems that The More palace was no longer used after 1556. One reason might have been that its foundations were not strong enough.

In 1547, a list of all the King's belongings, known as the royal inventory, showed 157 items at The More. These items were looked after by Richard Hobbes. Some tapestries even had the coat-of-arms of Cardinal Wolsey on them. There were also two fancy crimson velvet chairs that had Anne Boleyn's initials carved and embroidered on them.

People tried to fix the palace between 1547 and 1552. A detailed check of the building was done in 1568. However, in 1576, the 2nd Earl of Bedford rented the house. He likely decided it was too much work to repair. By 1598, records show that the palace was already in ruins. The last parts of The More were finally taken down in 1661.

What Came After

Around 1617, the 3rd Earl of Bedford built a new house on a hill nearby, within the old deer park. His wife, Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford, wrote about her building projects at Moor Park. She said she was "patching" and "adding some trifles of pleasure" to the place she loved so much. This house was later replaced by the grand building known today as Moor Park.

Finding The More Today

The site of The More palace was partly dug up by archaeologists between 1952 and 1955. Today, it is buried under about a meter of soil. This soil was added to create a flat playing field for Northwood Preparatory School, which is right next to the site. The hidden palace was also featured in an episode of the archaeology TV show Time Team in 2012, where they explored its secrets.