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Otford Palace is a medieval royal residence located in Otford, Kent, which served as an important possession of the Archbishops of Canterbury from the twelfth century onwards. The site comprises the remains of a substantial palace complex that was developed and expanded during the medieval period, particularly under the archbishops' stewardship. The surviving structures include fragments of stone walls and earthwork features that reflect the palace's former grandeur as a significant ecclesiastical seat. The palace fell into decline following the Reformation, when it passed out of archiepiscopal control, and the site has remained largely ruinous since that period.
Otford Palace is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1005197. View the official record →
Otford Palace is a medieval royal residence located in Otford, Kent, which served as an important possession of the Archbishops of Canterbury from the twelfth century onwards. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1005197.
Otford Palace is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1005197.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Thomas a Becket's Well (0.2 km), Otford Roman villa (0.6 km), Bowl barrow at Otford Mount (0.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Otford Palace's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Otford Palace stands on Grey Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Cenomanian. The rock here is chalk.