The site of Fulham Palace has been occupied for over 5,000 years, probably because of its location next to an important crossing of the Thames. From 704 AD to 1973 it was the home of the Bishop of London and is one of the oldest estates in the country.

Fulham Palace Trust was established in 2011 to manage the buildings and gardens and make them accessible to the general public. The Palace gardens and main building are open 7 days per week to the public free of charge and receive around 360,000 visits per annum. In addition to the museum and the gardens, there is a café, a shop, an active and award-winning learning programme, and a varied events and activities programme.

This talk will be delivered by two members of the Fulham Palace team, Alexis Haslam, community archaeologist, and Sian Harrington, CEO, who were both heavily involved in the restoration project from 2017-19. This £4.20 m project restored the brickwork and interiors in the Tudor court, dating to 1495, created a new museum, and re-introduced plant species that were first grown at the Palace over 300 years ago.

Sian will outline some of the achievements of the project, including the approach to brickwork repairs which has led to a re-evaluation of traditional techniques, and Alexis will talk about some of the exciting discoveries he made as the in-house archaeologist on the project, which has given the Trust a much greater understanding of the people behind the various phases of remodelling at the Palace, including Bishops of London, architects, and craftspeople.