Time is running out for you to secure a precious place on one of the 2023 tours of Croydon Old Palace, for the chance to take a trip back in time hundreds of years, to the age of the first Queen Elizabeth, and walk in the footsteps of numerous Archbishops.
Step back in time: the old chapel in Old Palace
Old Palace, in term time now a girls’ private school, is a former official residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury — and it’s open to the public on just a few days of each year.
The palace was built for the Archbishops at a time when Croydon was a suitable stopping off point for journeys between Lambeth and Canterbury. Built around the 1440s, the great hall and side rooms for the palace still exist, with the huge wooden ceiling in the hall being most impressive.
Because of the requirements of the school, the Friends of Old Palace group is only able to organise its guided tours on limited dates. Of the 10 dates available in 2023, eight of them have been, or are, fully booked.
Borough’s culture: places on the guided tours are in great demand
The only dates with vacancies to book that remain are Wednesday, October 25 and Friday, October 27 (tour dates for 2024 are likely to be released in February).
Admission is £7, or concessions (60+ and under-16s) £3.
“As a Tudor Palace, we only accept payment by cash, cheque or groat,” the organisers say.
Doors open at 1.30pm, the tours commence at 2pm and last approximately two hours. Old Palace is not suitable for wheelchair users. Photography is not permitted inside the buildings.
Check their website for the latest details about dates.
http://www.friendsofoldpalace.org/
Booking is essential on 0208 656 5563 or send an email to marybob1@hotmail.com. There’s no online booking.
The Palace building is about a 10-minute walk from East Croydon station.
Croydon Old Palace, Old Palace Road, CR0 1AX
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