Unearthing Layers Of History At Fulham Palace

Although sometimes overlooked, Fulham Palace is, I would say, one of London’s most remarkable historic sites. For one thing, few places in the capital can rival its extraordinary longevity: for more than 1,300 years it served as the London residence of the Bishop of London.

The Bishop of London was a powerful figure, not just within the church but also at court, where they often acted as a royal adviser and power broker.

The site’s significance also extends even further back. The palace is both Grade I listed for its architectural importance and designated a scheduled ancient monument, because it has layers of human history that stretch back some 6,000 years.

Today, Fulham Palace is free to visit and offers a fascinating glimpse into London’s past.

Origins

There is evidence of human activity on this riverside site, going back 6,000 years. Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts have been found, as well as evidence of a possible Roman villa near the walled garden 

Its association with the Bishops of London goes all the way back to 704AD when Bishop Waldhere purchased the Manor of Fulham. The Manor was a large swathe of land including much of modern day Hammersmith, Ealing and Finchley. 

The office of the Bishop of London had originated only one hundred years earlier, in 604 AD, when St. Mellitus was consecrated by St. Augustine to minister to the East Saxons. King Ethelbert of Kent founded St. Paul’s Cathedral as the episcopal seat, which established an unbroken line of succession that continues today. 

The medieval complex, largely used as a summer retreat for the Bishops from the crowded and dirty City, was a large, 36-acre moated site. Because the Bishops of London were regarded as ‘Princes of the Church’, the site earned the title of ‘Palace’. It frequently hosted royals, including King Henry VI and a lavish banquet for the aged Queen Elizabeth I in 1601. 

War And The final Bishop

During World War I, the palace functioned as an auxiliary military hospital. The moat was filled in and drained in the 1920s. 

In World War II, it was a WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) station for barrage balloons and provided shelter for hundreds of citizens left homeless during the Blitz. 

By the 1970s, the large estate had become too expensive for the church to maintain. Bishop Stopford was the final bishop to live on the estate, departing in 1973 and relocating to the Old Deanery by St Paul’s. From 1975, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham leased the grounds. Today, the site is run by the Fulham Palace Trust, preserving the 13-acre botanic garden and historic house. 

The Building Today 

The building today has elements from across the centuries, so it can be hard to get your head around the history as you wander around. The buildings and spaces are varied and interesting, but the imagination often has to be used to evoke its past.

The oldest surviving section is the Tudor Great Hall and Courtyard.

These were built around 1495, during the reign of King Henry VII, under Bishop Fitzjames. The Great Hall served as a banqueting hall, a courtroom and, at times, a chapel. 

During World War One, it was repurposed as a dining space for patients. Its stained glass windows were sadly lost in airraids during the Blitz.

Bishop Sherlock’s Room

Another impressive room is Bishop Sherlock’s Room.

This beautiful, bright Palladian room was commissioned by Bishop Sherlock in the 1750s as an entertainment space. When I visited, one of the volunteers was playing the piano, which really added to the charm and atmosphere of the space. 

There are various portraits of former Bishops in here as well as, when I visited, an exhibition about the historic links between the Bishops of London, colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. 

In the 1760s, much of the palace was remodeled in a Gothic-Revival ‘Strawberry Hill’ style, taking inspiration from the eponymous home of Horace Walpole.

Then Samuel Pepys Cockerell adapted the Palace from 1814–18 for Bishop Howley, removing the crenellations, adding an extra floor, and remodelling the east front, to give it a more classic Georgian feel. 

Another interesting early 19th century element is the Gothic style lodge to the West of the main courtyard. This was built in around 1815 as a porter’s lodge guarding the entrance.

The pale pink structure was designed by Mary Frances Belli, wife of Bishop William Howley. You can see hsi coat of arms above the door.

The Chapel

The current chapel is the fourth known chapel at the palace. It was designed by architect William Butterfield and consecrated in 1867 for Bishop Tait, in a Gothic-revival style. It once had striking poly-chrome brickwork and inlaid stone, but this has largely been painted over and simplified since. 

The chapel had to be restored after World War Two and contains murals by Brian Thomas and a stained glass window by Ninian Comper, both installed in 1953. There is surviving Victorian glass by Clayton & Bell in the West windows.

The two figures represented in the mural above are said to be based on Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as the Queen had her coronation that year. 

You can also see the original mosaic reredos as you enter, that was once placed behind the altar. 

A Dog And A Turkey

There is an exhibition space that includes artefacts from across the history of the palace, including many items excavated in various archaeological digs.

Below, for example, is a dog skeleton found in 2017. They think it could be the remains of Captain, a mastiff and pet belonging to Bishop Tait (Bishop from 1856-1868). 

The same dig in 2017 uncovered a Tudor ditch filled with kitchen waste. This included the bones of London’s earliest known turkey! The ditch was backfilled with waste from 1480-1550 and turkeys were brought to Britain for the first time through Bristol at some point between 1525-1530. 

The Gardens

One of the real stars of the show in my opinion are the gardens. The walled garden is particularly lovely, with the gateway and entrance walls dating to the Tudor period.

In the 16th century, Bishop Grindal apparently cultivated some of England’s earliest outdoor grapes here and sent them to Elizabeth I. 

In the 1680s, it also became effectively one of the first major botanic gardens in the country. Exotic species, such as North American trees and plants like the magnolia were planted. A massive holm oak still stands at the southwest corner of the walled garden. It is a species of oak native to the Mediterranean region and was planted here in the late 15th or early 16th century. 

The garden was then fully enclosed as a kitchen garden in the 1760s. A vinery and bothies was erected in 1825. 

Today it is very much still an operating kitchen garden. You can buy vegetables, bunches of flowers, honeys and preserves, grown and produced on site. 

It is also one of the best places to indulge in wisteria hysteria. The wisteria here was planted in the 1830s, making it some of the oldest in London. The best time to see it in full bloom is April and early May.

Visiting Fulham Palace

As mentioned at the top of the post, Fulham Palace and its gardens are free to visit. They are open daily from 10.30am-5pm and there is a cafe on site, open from 9.30am-5pm.

They also have paid tours that really bring the place to life. You can book those and their other events here.

Thank you for reading! See below for more of my blog posts on London’s fascinating historic spots.