Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is a picturesque medieval castle on the south bank of the Thames in central London, which for several centuries has been the residence of the spiritual leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Lambeth Palace is made up of buildings of different styles and eras, but it looks very harmonious.
History
The stretch of bank on the right bank of the river belonged to the Archbishops of the Church of England from the 13th century onwards. In the surviving palace complex, only a small Gothic chapel remains from those distant times. The Lollard Tower appeared in the palace in 1440, and in the 17th century it was used as a place of imprisonment for anyone who disagreed with the ruling regime. In the early Tudor era, a brick entrance was built outside Lambeth Palace.
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Most of the palace buildings came into being after the English Revolution of the 17th century in the old Gothic tradition. Between 1829 and 1833, the residential part of Lambeth Palace was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style under the direction of the talented British architect Edward Blore (1797-1879).
What to see
The palace houses many ancient paintings by famous artists such as Antonis Van Dyck, Hans Holbein, William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds. In addition, the building has housed the archbishop’s extensive library since 1620. Over 40 thousand volumes are placed in a spacious hall with dimensions of 28 by 12 meters. Here you can see unique editions – the Gutenberg Bible (mid-15th century) and the Lambeth Bible (12th century).
.Near St. Mary’s Church there is an old cemetery. Archbishop Richard Bancroft and Vice-Admiral William Bligh are buried there.
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Visitor Information
Tours of the Lambeth Palace buildings are available on weekdays. There are no exact start times for the tours, so tourists get into tour groups on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission for adults costs £5, children can get into the castle for free. Please note that photography is only allowed in the garden and courtyard, and photography is not allowed inside the buildings.
.How to get there
Lambeth Palace is located in the London borough of Lambeth. The palace complex is not difficult to reach on foot from Vauxhall, Waterloo and Westminster tube stations. The 507 bus from Waterloo and Victoria Station stops right outside the palace. The No. 3 and 344 buses take you to the Lambeth Road stop, and the No. 77, 507 and C10 buses take you to the Lambeth Palace Road stop.
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