Lambeth Palace, which is just across the river and slightly upstream from the Houses of Parliament, has been for some seven centuries the official residence and headquarters of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It has been the scene of numerous events of great importance in the Christian history of England and of London in particular. Today it houses a library containing the most complete collection of books and manuscripts in the world relating to the Church of England. The library is open for research to qualified scholars, and the Palace itself is open to visitors upon appointment.
The story of Lambeth Palace takes us back to the latter part of the twelfth century, when an archbishop named Baldwin decided to move his residence away from Canterbury. He did this for two reasons: to be nearer to the palace at Westminster, and because of conflicts with the monks of the Priory of Christchurch, Canterbury. The conflict continued for a time despite the move, however, as the monks appealed to the Pope, who in 1199 gave orders to have the buildings at Lambeth destroyed. But early in the thirteenth century the great Archbishop Stephen Langton, who supported the barons against King John, restored the archiepiscopal residence at Lambeth and actually became the first archbishop to live there. All of his successors have resided at Lambeth to this day.
In early times the archbishops lived somewhat like feudal lords, behind defensive walls and gates, guarded by armed retainers. Thus the entrance to Lambeth Palace is beneath medieval towers through heavy wooden gates known as Morton’s Gateway. This was built in the fifteenth century to replace an earlier gateway which had been broken down during the Peasant’s Insurrection. Another tower, dating from 1434–35, can be seen on the left of the central hall as viewed from the river. This is called the Lollard’s Tower (though the actual prison for Lollards was in the precincts of Old St Paul’s), and it obviously served as a prison of some sort in medieval days. One can see the grim cell at the top with rings in the wall, a massive door and a peephole. Interesting graffiti still remain on the walls. The main building of Lambeth as seen from the riverside, or on the left of the courtyard from Morton’s Gateway, is a beautiful hall in the Gothic perpendicular style, crowned by a lantern and weather vane.
This is the Great Hall, also known as Juxton’s Hall because it is a reconstruction done in 1663 under Archbishop William Juxton. Inside is a magnificent hammer-beam roof of oak. The Hall was used for banquets and early convocations and church councils. During the reign of Henry VIII, a special commission was held here under Archbishop Thomas Cranmer that framed the oath acknowledging the king’s supremacy over the church. The present Great Hall houses the marvellous Lambeth Library mentioned previously, with its priceless illuminated Lambeth Bible (1150), MacDurnan Gospels. (ninth century), and some 3000 manuscripts and 150,000 printed books. It is also the meeting place of the Lambeth Conference, which assembles every ten years to discuss affairs of the worldwide Anglican communion. Historically, the most important part of Lambeth is the chapel, the original of which was the first building to be completed under Stephen Langton. Here John Wyclif was summoned in 1378, here Archbishop Thomas Cranmer did much of the work on the first Book of Common Prayer, and here in 1558 Matthew Parker was consecrated, later to become the architect of the ‘Elizabethan Settlement’.
During the Commonwealth period in the seventeenth century the stained-glass windows were smashed and the Chapel used for secular purposes. But at the return of Charles II it was restored by Archbishop Juxton along with the Great Hall. The original Chapel suffered badly from the bombing and was gutted to the walls, with only the thirteenthcentury doorway remaining intact. However, a careful restoration by Lord Mottistone and Mr Paul Paget succeeded in recreating an interior much like the medieval one, including the vaulted roof, carved pews and screen, and fine stained-glass windows. Other parts of Lambeth Palace of historic interest include the Guard Room and the Picture Gallery, both of which are hung with paintings of former archbishops. The Guard Room, where armed guards once waited, contains a fine arch-braced roof which is much more ancient than the room itself. It was in the Guard Room where Thomas More was probably questioned for his refusal to take the Oath of Supremacy. Here also the Lambeth Conference first met in 1867. Among the paintings is one of Archbishop William Laud done by Van Dyck. In the Portrait Gallery (which once was an open gallery above the Cloister, now gone) Queen Elizabeth I attended a Lenten service in the days of Matthew Parker. Parker’s picture hangs here, as do one of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer done by Holbein and one of the famous Archbishop William Temple, who occupied Lambeth during World War II.