More information : The King's House, erected after the Dissolution of St Augustine's
Abbey, formed part of a scheme to establish posting houses between
London and Dover for the use of the King and distinguished visitors.
Others were set up on sites of supressed monasteries at Dartford and
Rochester. (1)
Conversion of monastic buildings to royal palace - detailed account.
(2)
At the dissolution Henry kept the abbot's lodging as a royal palace.
A new range of buildings was also constructed on the S side of the
Great Court where the E and W ranges had been adapted for his use.
This was for Anne of Cleves, expected in England shortly. Work
carried on day and night from 5th October - 21st December 1539.
The palace was rarely used by Henry VIII or his successors. It was granted to Cardinal Pole, 1556-8 and was eventually leased as
a nobleman's house. Edward Lord Wotten, lessee from 1612 employed
John Tradescant the elder to lay out gardens E of the palace.
The palace remained intact, though increasingly ruinous, until the
end of the C17, and was probably finally destroyed by the storm of
1703. (TR 15415778 - see illustration card for plans). (3)
Additional references. (4-7)
Additional source, notes examples of the use of the Roayal lodgings at Canterbury in Royal and ambassadorial journey's. There is also a plan of the lodgings, as they were laid out circa 1547. (8)
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