Charing Palace: £300,000 Grant from Historic England Helps Save Exceptional Medieval Hall

A £300,000 grant from Historic England has helped save a key part of Charing Palace in rural Kent. The palace was a favourite residence of archbishops during the medieval period and hosted King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon.

Historic England’s grant has funded urgent structural repairs to the vast Grade I listed 14th-century barn, built as the Great Hall of the palace. Roof timbers and the stone and flint walls have been repaired, and new buttresses have been designed to support the north wall of the barn.

In addition to the grant, Historic England is supporting the work through new dendrochronology to date the age of the timbers and detailed building recording to help better understand the buildings and inform their conservation.

The Spitalfields Historic Building Trust is leading the rescue of this exceptional collection of historic buildings, largely untouched by the modern world. Described by architectural historian and Chair of Trustees Dan Cruickshank as “a marvellous architectural survival”, the site has roots back to the 8th century, with many of the buildings still standing today ranging from the late 13th to the late 15th century.

The palace complex is protected as a scheduled monument due to its national significance and has multiple Grade I listed buildings, the highest level of heritage protection. It has been on the Heritage at Risk Register for many years due to its poor condition.

History

Charing Palace provided high-status accommodation for more than 50 Archbishops of Canterbury and their retinues during the medieval period. Charing’s location made it a convenient stopover between Canterbury and Lambeth Palace in London.

In 1520, Henry VIII stayed at Charing Palace with his first wife Katherine of Aragon and a large entourage on their way to France for the monumental Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting with Francis I of France. Henry acquired the palace from the Church in 1545, after the dissolution of the monasteries, and it was let as a farm before passing into private ownership.

The standing remains – including the Great Hall barn, former manor house incorporating part of a chapel, and outbuildings, all set around a courtyard and enclosed by a boundary wall and gatehouse – largely survive because the site was adapted to be a working farm which kept the buildings in use, despite deterioration.

Major conservation project

In 2023, The Spitalfields Trust took on the main palace complex and is embarking on a major conservation project to save the site from near total dereliction. The Trust has previously successfully bought, restored, converted to residential use, and sold the adjoining gatehouse and cottage.

Local residents, Masters students studying Architectural Conservation at the University of Kent, and study groups have been invited to help shape the future of the palace so that it is sensitively repaired and brought back into use in a way that sympathetically secures its long-term future. The site is currently being marketed to attract a custodian who shares the Trust’s vision for the repair and reuse of this extraordinary site.

The Spitalfields Trust was supported by a loan investment from the Architectural Heritage Fund to aid the initial purchase of Charing Palace. Other supporters include The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Pilgrim Trust, Historic Houses Foundation and The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

Comments

Tom Foxall, Regional Director at Historic England, said: “The huge medieval barn at Charing Palace is the most vulnerable part of the site and needed urgent attention. Our grant has supported emergency repairs to stabilise it and make it windproof and watertight. Saving Charing Palace is about working together to forge a sustainable future for this extraordinary collection of buildings, bringing life back to the historic heart of a close-knit community.”

Katharine Maclean, Project Manager at The Spitalfields Trust, said: “The Trust is delighted to have the support of Historic England in undertaking these essential repairs to the Great Hall, and looks forward to the successful completion of the remainder of the project.”

Dan Cruickshank, Architectural Historian and Chair of Trustees of the Spitalfields Trust, added: “The Archbishop's Palace at Charing in Kent is a marvellous architectural survival, of intense historic interest, embedded - in almost secret manner - within one of the county’s most attractive villages. The nation can boast few historic buildings comparable to the palace at Charing, and arguably none so bewitchingly beautiful, picturesque - and with such potential for careful repair, conservation and adaptation - all of which can give these ancient structures new lives.”

Cllr Linda Harman, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Housing Delivery & Communication at Ashford Borough Council, said: “Ashford Borough Council has been closely involved with Charing Palace and the complex issues of its preservation, for many years. It is an extraordinary site, with both a local and nationally significant history. We are delighted that the dedication and determination of Historic England and The Spitalfields Trust have secured the rescue of the barn, and we look forward to engaging in the Trust’s future projects on site.”

The Ven Darren Miller, Archdeacon of Ashford, said: “This site isn’t just a landmark for the Charing community—it’s a vital piece of our national story. Thanks to this grant, we can protect its legacy for future generations. As conservation work moves forward, I hope that both the conservation experts and local people will come together to uncover more of its rich past and shape its future role in our shared heritage.

Article courtesy of Historic England