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Lambeth Palace's imposing Tudor
gatehouse is one of the capital's most familiar riverside
landmarks.
The huddle of red-brick buildings
has been the official London residence of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, senior cleric of the Church of England, since
1207.
Parts of the Early English chapel
and its undercroft and sections of the Palace have survived
from the 13th century. The Palace also has a Great Hall
with a hammer-beam roof.
The Tudor gateway dates from
1485 but the rest of the building is more recent, with frequent
restoration taking place.
Before the construction of the
first Westminster Bridge, a horse ferry operated between here
and Millbank. It was one of the principal river crossings
and the revenues from the ferry went to the Archbishop, so
when the Westminster Bridge opened in 1750 the Archbishop
received compensation for loss of business.
Lambeth Palace is not usually
open to the public but tours can be arranged by writing to
the bookings department - allow plenty of time as tours are
often booked-up for months ahead.
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