WOKING PALACE

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The now ruined, moated site of Woking Palace was first documented in 1272 and used as a royal residence from circa 1466. It was converted into a palace by Henry VII following his accession in 1485 and subsequently altered by both Henry VIII and Eizabeth I. Henry VIII was a regular visitor to Woking and approved a series of repairs and alterations which included the construction of a new wharf and two bowling alleys. In 1620 the estate was granted to Sir Edward Zouch who built a new mansion nearly a mile from the palace and by the mid 17th century the palace had been abandoned and virtually ruined.

The palace moat, which is seasonally water-filled, has no southern arm, as the southern side of the site is defined by the River Wey. A submerged timber structure was discovered in the northern half of the river, at the eastern end of the site, in 1996. It is believed to have been a wharf contemporary with the moated site. On the western side of the site, the moat has a slight outer bank and a substantial inner bank, which has an inner, narrower moat. Water was directed from this inner moat into two parallel fishponds, then onto a third, now partly infilled, fishpond, and finally into an internal projection of the moat which led northwards from the centre of the site to the main moat circuit. There is a causeway entrance in the middle of the eastern arm. In the centre of the moat stands a stone building with a 14th century doorway and a brick barrel vault. This adjoins a brick building constructed as the King's Hall in 1508 and converted into a barn after the palace site was abandoned in the early 17th century. The brick and stone foundations of further buildings lie to the east.

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[TQ 0296 5704] Old Hall [G.T.] (remains of) (1)

The royal residence at Woking Park consisted of a great hall and extensive ancilliary buildings within a double moat. See AO/LP/62/127. (2)

It was mentioned in 1272, occupied by Edward IV and Henry VIII, became the birth place of Mary Tudor in 1514, and was leased as a manor house in 1621, when it had probably become ruinous. A surviving building 30' x 18' is possibly the bakehouse, known to be extant in 1327. Adjoining this is a dilapidated 16th C. barn.

Traces of the foundations of other buildings and a shallow depression representing a moat are visible.

Two stagnant ponds in Oldhall Copse may be the stew-ponds. (3-5)

Scheduled. as 'Old Manor House' (6)

The remains of Old Hall comprise a flint and stone building with a barrel-vaulted roof and a prob. 14th C stone pointed-arch doorway (See GP. AO/66/109/5), now used as a store shed and in poor condition; and an adjoining red brick barn of prob. 16th C.
date. (See GP: AO/66/109/6). To the E. are the brick and stone foundations of further buildings, the walls being up to 1.3m. in width.

The moat is generally broad & shallow and at present marshy or dry. Along the W. arm, which crosses a low ridge approach from the W, is a strong inner bank. It continues, though much weaker, along the N. arm. To the S, the moat linked up with the river Wey.

The fish ponds in Oldhall Copse are waterfilled. Published 1/2500 survey revised. (7)

The remains of the moated site of Woking Palace. This unusually large moated site was a royal residence from at least 1272. It was used by Edward IV and Henry VIII and was the birthplace of Mary Tudor in 1514. The moat, which is seasonally water-filled, has no southern arm, as the southern side of the site is defined by the River Wey. A submerged timber structure was discovered in the northern half of the river, at the eastern end of the site, in 1996. It is believed to have been a wharf contemporary with the moated site. On the western side of the site, the moat has a slight outer bank and a substantial inner bank, with, in turn, an inner, narrower moat. Water was directed from this inner moat into two parallel fishponds, then onto a third, now partly infilled, fishpond, and finally into an internal projection of the moat which led northwards from the centre of the site to the main moat circuit. There is a causeway entrance in the middle of the eastern arm. In the centre of the moat stands a stone building with a 14th century doorway and a brick barrel vault. This adjoins a brick-built, 16th century barn. The brick and stone foundations of further buildings lie to the east. Scheduled. (8)

Manor house, documented from 1272. The first royal resident would have been Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, who lived at the house from 1466 until at least 1471. The house was converted into a palace by Henry VII on his accession in 1485 and was altered during the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. It was probably not used by Edward IV and was not the birth place of Mary Tudor, who was born at Greenwich. The ruined barn was built as the King's Hall in 1508 and was converted in the early 17th century. (9)

Henry VIII often visited Woking and throughout his reign the manor-house underwent regular maintenance as well as some alterations. Additions approved by Henry VIII included a new wharf by the river Wey and two new bowling alleys. Maintenance works included the replacement of bridge planks, alterations to room partitions, plastering and painting, replacement of glass in windows, retiling of roofs and fireplaces, and, the installation of new windows. James I granted the estate to Sir Edward Zouch in 1620 who constructed a new mansion nearly a mile from the palace. By the reign of Charles II, the palace appears to have been abandoned and virtually ruined. (10)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961

( 2) edited by H E Malden 1911 The Victoria history of the county of Surrey: volume three

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)382-3

( 3) by Ian Nairn and Nikolaus Pevsner 1962 Surrey

The buildings of England Page(s)336

( 4) Surrey Archaeological Society Surrey archaeological collections : relating to the history and antiquities of the County

Plan (R.A.C. Godwin-Austen) 7 Page(s)44-9

( 5) Surrey Archaeological Society Surrey archaeological collections : relating to the history and antiquities of the County

Illus (D.J. Haggard) 55124-6

( 6) Ministry of Works 1961 Ancient monuments in England and Wales : list prepared by the Ministry of Works, corrected to 31st December 1960

Page(s)87

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 10-JUN-66

(8) Scheduled Monument Notification

EH Scheduled Monument Revision, 07-SEP-2000

(9) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

(10) by H M Colvin ... [et al] 1982 The history of the King's Works, volume 4 : 1485-1660 (Part 2)

Page(s)344-348

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MONUMENT NO. 394128
WOKING

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Anglo-Saxon spearhead found in the moat at Woking Park Farm in 1904.

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