History
A summer retreat for over a hundred Bishops of London, Fulham Palace tells a fascinating story. Once enclosed by the largest moated site in England, its gardens have been home to many of the country’s botanical ‘ firsts’. The medieval Great Hall has been the scene of royal banquets and supposedly the persecution of protestant heretics whose ghosts are said to haunt the Palace corridors. The surviving building dates from 1495 and is Grade One Listed.
Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of early settlement on the site, both Neolithic and Roman. As Lord of the Manor, the medieval bishops were responsible for law and order, but in return were able to demand tithes and food from the local people.
The wealthy Tudor bishops owned other manors around London and Essex, including a hunting lodge in Highgate. Queen Elizabeth I visited the Palace in 1600. During the English Civil War, bishops were abolished and the Palace was sold to one of Cromwell’s generals. It was returned to the Bishop of London during Charles II’s reign.
By the eighteenth century Fulham had become the summer home of the Bishop, and after the First World War, the principal residence. During World War Two, a barrage balloon site was based at the Palace. After the war, the Palace was divided up and much of it was used as offices. Today the Palace is owned by Church Commissioners and leased to Hammersmith and Fulham Council and the Fulham Palace Trust.
For details of the Palace's history take a look at our site conservation plan under Corporate Strategies.
