Three years of work have been completed following the successful refurbishment of Lambeth Palace, the London HQ for the Archbishop of Canterbury for almost 800 years.
The project was the first of its kind in over 70 years and led to a number of archaeological discoveries.
Lambeth Palace is a Grade I listed building and began its life as “Lambeth House” in around 1200, when the Diocese of Canterbury acquired a property for use as a residence for the Archbishop while on government business in London.
The £40 million project involved replacing 1,450 square metres of floorboards, the restoration and cleaning of 800 square metres of ancient stonework, the installation of two kilometres of heating pipes, 1.6 kilometres of water pipes and 50 kilometres of cables.
Great care was also taken to restore the timber roof of the Great Hall, which was damaged in World War Two. Workers did their best to balance historical accuracy with modern resilience in their restoration work.
During the three year process the palace has remained up and running, hosting services, international guests and holding a number of high-profile events.
The work led to the discovery of a number of artefacts dating back all the way to the 12th century. The remains of the walls of the medieval palace were also found.
The project aimed to make Lambeth Palace more environmentally friendly, in line with the Church of England’s commitment to 'net zero'. The renovation has also done much to improve disability access to the palace.
The Rev Tosin Oladipo, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: “Before anything, Lambeth Palace is a place of prayer and worship, hospitality and service. It seeks to play its part in the life of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion by making Jesus Christ known in our world today.
“As we prepare for the ministry of the next Archbishop of Canterbury, we are delighted that this refurbishment means Lambeth can continue to fulfil this role in the life of the Church for many years to come.”
