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In the study of the Nation's Heritage, one finds that important historical figures have associations with Charing Palace.

1. William the Conqueror

Charing Palace is an example of the inheritance of William's determination to
establish a powerful church infrastructure.

It is reasonable to speculate that some form of building existed at Charing in
Lanfranc's time,  supported by reference to ecclesiastical property at Charing. The detached nature of the present Archbishop's residence suggests that the 13^th
century buildings incorporated structures from an even earlier period.

2. Henry III & King John

Son of the feckless "Bad King John", Henry, as a child King, was the ward of Archbishop Stephen Langton, who owned the Palace from 1207 to 1228.

Langton had played an important part in securing King John's signature to the Magna Carter. 

3. Edward I

Documentary evidence exists of visits to Charing by Edward I, the powerful
monarch, known as Hammer of the Scots and also as Longshanks. 

4. Henry VII

The winner of the War of the Roses and founder of the Tudor dynasty, Henry VII stayed at Charing Palace. The host was Archbishop John Morton of "Morton's fork" fame i.e. "Ostentation is proof of wealth, while a poverty stricken
appearance is proof of hidden saving"- Morton's test for tax assessment.   

5. Henry VIII

Visits were made by Henry to the Palace when it was owned by Archbishop Cramner, who wisely handed it over to Henry during the Reformation.
Importantly, Henry stayed at Charing with Katherine of Aragon on his way to the Field of the Cloth of Gold.   

These associations bring history alive to school children and provide an authentic backdrop to events held to celebrate Charing Palace's role in the nation's story. Typically, a pageant is to be held on June 19^th 2004 commemorating Henry's visit to the Palace at Charing on his way to wrestle with King Francis the 1st of France, on the Field of the Cloth of Gold. The Palace also provides evidence for more scholarly activities, which might include a study on the use of lodgings in
dormitory form.

It is worth noting that planned public and community use of the Palace complex will attract adults who would not otherwise visit an historic property or a museum.


Overall heritage importance of Charing Palace in National History as built Heritage

The most important period in history of Charing Palace was the years around 1300 when new buildings were going up to accommodate not only the
archbishop's needs but also to give hospitality to royalty. The previous paragraph

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