The Manor of Croydon was connected with the Archbishopric of Canterbury from late Saxon times, and Croydon Palace was the summer residence of the Archbishop for over 500 years.
The palace now is a group of mainly 15th and 16th century buildings, used by the Old Palace School, an independent girls school, owned by the Whitgift Foundation. Henry VII, Mary I and Elizabeth I are all known to have enjoyed banquets in the Great Hall and Elizabeth I was a frequent visitor. Six Archbishops of Canterbury are buried in Croydon Minster, neighbouring the palace, including Edmund Grindal (d. 1583) and John Whitgift (d. 1604) who were Archbishops during Elizabeth I’s reign.
The Old Palace can be visited on pre-booked tours led by The Friends of the Old Palace.
See also: Fulham Palace
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