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Lambeth Palace, London

In the chaos that followed the fall of the Roman Empire in the sixth and seventh centuries, the only real unifying power in Europe was the Christian religion. The Roman Emperors had been literally considered as gods. It was the transfer of faith away from the emperors towards a christian God and his earthly representatives that precipitated the final fall of the Roman Empire. St Augustine arrived in England in 597AD to reconvert the Anglo Saxons to Christianity, and founded Canterbury Cathedral. The Archbishops of Canterbury then continued as the most powerful religious leaders in England. By 1200 they had taken possession of a palace at Lambeth on the south bank of the Thames. Parts of the present building, such as the Undercroft survive from the thirteenth century. Other powerful bishops also had palaces along the Thames. None of these now survive, although the remains of the palace used by the Bishop of Winchester can be viewed on Bankside near the Globe Theatre.

Lambeth Palace then was the ultimate seat of power in England, since the monarch was subject to the Pope's authority. But just as faith in the divine status of the Roman emperors had eventually weakened, so unquestioning faith in the leaders of the Catholic Church also weakened. As early as the 1380s, John Wycliffe had founded the Lollard movement, a precursor of Protestantism, which would sweep across Europe in the sixteenth century. Naturally this threat to the Church's power was not viewed favourably, especially when Wycliffe looked not to the Pope for support, but to powerful secular figures,such as John of Gaunt, and the king, Richard the Second. Even though Wycliffe seemed to be in favour of secular power, there were rumours that the Peasants Revolt of 1381 was stirred up by his ideas. Eventually Wycliffe was put on trial at Lambeth Palace, and the Lollard movement brutally suppressed. Wycliffe died soon after, seemingly of a stroke. His Lollard movement continued after him, but for now it was considered a threat to stability, and successive kings worked hard to eradicate it. One of the towers at Lambeth Palace is ironically now known as the Lollards Tower.

 

The 1380s were a trial run for the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. This began in Germany. When Henry the Eighth realised that Protestantism freed him from the influence of the Pope he staged the English Reformation in 1532, changing England's religion to Protestantism. Lambeth Palace was no longer the home of the Pope's representative in England. Now it became the home of the head of the Anglican Church, as it has been ever since.

The Church was about power. Christianity stepped into a power vacuum after the fall of the Roman Empire, and gave religious unity where political unity had disappeared. Or you could say that Christianity replaced the cult of the Roman emperors, who were considered living gods. As with virtually any church Lambeth Palace has all the features of a castle: a gatehouse, towers, battlements. The earliest religious buildings show similar parallels. Neolithic religious sites consisted of circular earth banks and ditches, sometimes with standing stones; similarly hilltop castles at the time also consisted of circular banks and ditches. The Church sought a spiritual security in the choas of post Roman Europe, ruling through the power of symbolism. As has always been the case the design of buildings seeking spiritual security is similar to the design of buildings seeking phyiscal security. Lambeth Palace dates from a time when the spiritual castles had more power than the secular ones.

Lambeth Palace is not open to the public. However, it is possible to visit the library, which was created in 1610, and has documents dating back to the ninth century. The library collection is mainly related to church history, but also has a huge amount of material on art, architecture, British history and genealogy. To gain access to the library and view documents you will need a readers card. If you wish to view post 1800 material you will need to take proof of address and two passport sized photos. To view the whole collection, you will also need a letter of introduction from someone who knows you in a formal capacity. The entrance to the library is about one hundred yards along Lambeth Palace Road from the main entrance at the Gatehouse. The door will be closed - ring the bell.

Opening Times: The Libary is open Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm. Closed on public holidays, for ten days from Christmas Eve, and ten days from Good Friday.

Lambeth Palace can also be viewed from the Thames Path, on either the north or the south side of the Thames. I took the photos above from the northern Thames path, looking across the river from just outside the Tate Britain art gallery.

Directions: Lambeth Palace is in Lambeth Palace Road in west London. The nearest Underground stations are Westminster, Vauxhall, Waterloo, and Lambeth North. Click here for an interactive map centred on Lambeth Palace.

Contact: the Librarian

phone: 020 7898 1400

web site: http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/intro.html