(Continued from page 29)

lists the royal visitors and their importance in English history. 

Fundamental to the survival of so much early building is due to Charing's
location. The site is too far from London to have made it worth the total
revamping that occurred in the properties further west in the 15^th & 16^th centuries.  Thus rebuilding at Croydon, Otford, Maidstone and Lambeth means that little early work from the 1200's and 1300's survives at these palaces. Whilst, at
Charing much of what is seen can be attributed to 13^th and 14^th century. However, some modest improvements were undertaken at Charing in the 15^th century,
typically refurbishing of the private ranges and a new stair to the upper storey of the porch reflecting the fact that both Henry VII and Henry VIII were received at Charing.   

A major contributor to the survival of early fabric was the agricultural use to which the buildings were put after the Reformation. The Palace was at first
tenanted and then owned by various local families; none of these families had the wealth or, perhaps, the need to turn the Palace into an up-to-date gentry residence. The buildings were put to agricultural use or converted for cottages and, very
fortunately, are still preserved in this state.  This contrasts with other far-flung archbishop's residences, such as Aldington, Bekesbourne, and Ford where nearly all the buildings were destroyed in the 17^th century or later. 

Charing Palace is therefore quite unique in retaining rich evidence of the
buildings required to accommodate the archbishop and his staff in the early 1300's. As such Charing is an extremely important site.

The Archbishop's Palace is included in the statutory Schedule of Ancient
Monuments and the List of Buildings of Special Architectural and Historic
Interest at Grade I. The schedule states "The buildings which survive are mostly well preserved.…. they give a good indication of the layout of the original
complex .….the precinct wall survives indicating the full extent of the Palace
precinct, while the lack of disturbance to the interior has meant the survival of
upstanding and buried archaeological remains."

Webmasters note:

         With my parents having been so heavily involved in local history, I grew up with the history of Charing all around me, but even with that induction to the
locality, I must thank Alex Maclaren for bringing this important part of Charing's history to life with such a well scripted, and easily read article..  JR.