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Archbishops Palace
Formerly part of the Manor of Maidstone, the Archbishops'
Palace was mainly built by Archbishop Courtenay in the late 14th
century.
The manor of Maidstone was given to the Archbishops by Rector
William de Cornhill in 1207 to be used as a resting-place for
Archbishops travelling between London and Canterbury and is linked
to Palaces at Charing, Otford and Croydon.
The buildings surrounding the Palace, the Archbishops' Stables
to the east and 'the gatehouse' were probably used as a mill
and lodgings for the Archbishops' staff of accountants, butlers,
cooks and clerks.
The high wall at the back of the Palace shows a sloping recess
with a boarded window about 12 — 15 feet above the ground. Local
legend claims that this was once a dungeon and its most
famous occupant was John Ball, 'the mad priest of Kent'. His
refusal to accept or conform to the established social order
resulted in the Archbishop of Canterbury sentencing him to life
imprisonment for sedition. He was sprung from jail in 1381 during
the 'peasants revolt' — a protest at the poll tax introduced by
Chancellor Sudbury — who was also Archbishop of Canterbury.
Ball was seen as a natural ally to the peasants.
His rousing sermons for the removal of the Pope and
Archbishops acted as the clarion call to the masses. On the
14th June the rebels marched on London and although King Richard II
was sympathetic to their demands his advisors had no intention of
meeting them. Realising this, the rebels stormed the Tower of
London - the only people in history to have done so.
The Archbishops' Palace is now the Kent Register Office
for civil marriages and public records. To arrange a wedding
here, ring 01622 752891. It is not normally open to the
public except during Heritage Open Days. Group tours may
be organised at other times by special arrangement with the
Visitor Information
Centre
The neighbouring Apothecary's Garden is maintained by the
Kent Gardens Trust and is open to the public from 1st May to end
August Wednesday afternoons only.
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