Lambeth Palace, as it looked in 1709, from an 1876 print that appeared in "Old and New London"
A 1797 engraving of the the palace from the Thames from "Angus's Views of Seats." By kind permission of a private collection.
The Great Hall in 1800 from a circa 1880 wood engraved print that appeared in "Old and New London"
Earlier Houses: There were probably earlier buildings on the site of the current complex.
House & Family History: Lambeth Palace is the last survivor of the great London seats of English bishops along the south bank of the River Thames. The archbishops of Canterbury have owned the site since the late 12th century, when this part of London was the Surrey countryside. The beginnings of what is today Lambeth Palace were put in place in 1190 by Baldwin of Forde Abbey, a Cistercian monk who was elected archbishop of Canterbury in 1184. Though the early English chapel and its undercroft are survivals from the 13th century, the rest of the palace complex is an amalgam of six centuries of buildings and restorations. The palace is particularly noted for its hammer-beamed-roofed great hall (today the library), which was rebuilt in the 1660s (see "Images" section). Before the construction of the first Westminster Bridge, one of the principal river crossings was via a horse ferry that operated between Lambeth and Millbank. The tolls from the ferry went into the coffers of the archbishops of Canterbury; thus, when Westminster Bridge was opened in 1750 the archbishop received compensation for loss of business.
Country Life: Oct 18 & 25, 1990.
Title: Lambeth Palace: A History of the Archbishops of Canterbury and their Houses
Author: Tatton-Brown, Tim
Year Published: 2000
Reference: pgs. 19, 20
Publisher: London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
ISBN: 0281053472
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Grade I
Park Listed: Grade II
Current Seat / Home of: Archbishop of Canterbury
Current Ownership Type: The Church of England
Primary Current Ownership Use: Mixed Use
Ownership Details: The palace serves as CoE offices and the London home of the archbishop of Canterbury
House Open to Public: Limited Access
Phone: 02078-981-200
Fax: 02072-611-765
Website: https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/
Historic Houses Member: No