Today we visited Fulham Palace in West London, a grand building with medieval origins. The current building dates from the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509) and there have been many modifications made to the structure over the years. Fulham Palace is important because it was the country home of the Bishops of London from at least the 11th century. As you can imagine, a building owned by the Church for over 1,300 years and home to the Bishops of London for many centuries, has a lot of captivating stories to tell.
Some of these stories concern Edmund Bonner. In the 16th century, during the reign of Queen Mary 1, Catholic Bishop Edmund Bonner is said to have tortured and imprisoned Protestants at Fulham Palace, hence his unofficial title "Bloody Bonner.' A devout but cruel man wielding great power, he was Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's chaplain. Tales of his ghost at Fulham Palace have existed for hundreds of years and he is said to still roam the palace's rooms and halls.
However, it's not just the Palace that attracts visitors today. The palace gardens, including a Tudor walled garden, dating from the 16th century or earlier, are very important in the history of gardening. Although situated today smack dab in a busy neighborhood with automobile traffic, noise, and surrounded by a few modern buildings, a short stroll inside the walled garden this afternoon made me feel as if I was walking in the remote English countryside, in the far distant past.
Fulham Palace was damaged during WWII after which it was neglected for decades. Church authorities, finding it too expensive to maintain, vacated the place in 1973. Today this site is a popular place in which to get wed. The Palace and gardens are free to enter to anyone who just wants to wander and explore.
Adjacent to the Palace is the very old and scenic All Saints Church Fulham. Originally a Roman Catholic Church, during the Reformation it became, and remains, a Protestant Church. Apart from the tower, the present church dates from the late Victorian period. Parts of the tower date to the 14th century or early 15th century. This church was used in a memorable scene from the 1970's film The Omen, in which a priest is impaled by a lightening rod that falls off the church tower.
What a wonderful place to visit and, thankfully, we never encountered the ghost of Bloody Bonner!
 |
| All Saints Church |
 |
| Fulham Palace, Rear View |
 |
| Pergola Lined with Apple Trees |
 |
| Welcome to the Walled Garden |
No comments:
Post a Comment