Fulham Palace
Phil Emery (Gifford) & Chris Mayo (Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd)
Edited by Graham Sherwood
Major refurbishment at Fulham Palace - a complex scheme involving wholesale renewal of service connections and other works to a Grade I* listed building standing within a Scheduled Ancient Monument - has demanded a particularly sensitive approach to both design and implementation of an archaeological mitigation scheme. Archaeological work on this site brings together investigation of remains both above and below ground.
As the residence of the Bishops of London, Fulham Palace is believed to have its origins in the Saxon period, the original buildings most likely having been laid out within what is known as the 'homestead moat' in the south-west corner of site. In the 13th century the house was rebuilt in its current location within the great moated enclosure, which was claimed as the largest in England.
Multi-period occupation of this riverside site from as early as neolithic times is suggested by the results of archaeological fieldwork undertaken by a variety of organisations, augmented by chance finds.
Installation of services along two principal transects across the entire moated site as part of the current project, provides a key opportunity for archaeologists to develop a rudimentary model of the buried natural topography and thereby to provide a sound base from which to understand the emergence of a more regularised landscape. Routing of new and replacement services within the western part of palace grounds was guided by the mapping of buried anomalies of potential archaeological significance by three geophysical techniques - resistivity, magnetometry and ground penetrating radar. In the laying out of new services the aim was to protect any previously uninterrupted bodies of archaeological strata - that might provide viable subjects for future open area excavation - from being carved up unnecessarily. New services were, therefore, either to follow, or be tucked up alongside,
corridors of previous disturbance by existing services. From the outset, an iterative approach to design was adopted, the service layouts being adapted dynamically to take account of unexpected archaeological discoveries during the contractors' excavations. A proactive approach is being applied in the coordination of groundworks and the associated watching brief to ensure that a coherent archaeological record is generated while maintaining predictability in the construction programme. Throughout the project, close working relationships are being developed between the archaeologists and the Museum of Fulham Palace which forms the ideally located vehicle for community involvement and information dissemination. The work is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, in partnership with the Fulham Palace Trust.
Archaeology
Drainage work concentrated around the paddock area immediately to the west of the palace revealed two substantial linear features of apparent 13th century date. They were parallel, aligned north-south, and are likely to be part of the double-ditched enclosure of the early medieval manor house that pre-dated the palace structure. Their location aligns with similar features seen on a Geophysical survey conducted in the 1980's which identified a corner of the enclosure to the northwest of the palace.
Work in the West Courtyard revealed piecemeal survival of medieval, Tudor and post-medieval elements of the palace complex. Generally speaking the remains had been heavily truncated by the continuous reworking of the courtyard, especially 19th and 20th century service runs.
In the stable yard area and around Gothick Lodge, remains were found of the ancillary buildings connected with the 'farm'. The current stables can be seen from Leadbetter's plans of 1764 to have continued as a complete range to the west, and elements of this were found. New service runs were installed above or below the structural remains to allow preservation in situ. Part of a lean-to currently attached to Gothick Lodge was seen to have its foundations on a footing of re-used medieval stone. In two areas, decorative carvings on some pieces led to the possibility that they had come from a church, possibly the medieval chapel that once served the palace and stood on the East Lawn.
In the area of the North Lawn, detailed archaeological investigation was conducted to allow the installation of new service runs. Excavation revealed remnants of the 16th century State Wing of the palace, with a cellar that had altered in use before the block's demolition in 1715. In the same area, evidence of the medieval development of the palace was seen with a pitched-tile hearth and a chalk well. A coin of Crispus, AD 323-324, was recovered from the construction backfill of this feature.
Substantial work was conducted in Bishop Sherlock's dining Room to allow the restoration of the room to its' 18th century grandeur. Remains of the underfloor working of the 19th century kitchen that replaced the dining room were found and preserved in situ. A highlight of this work was the recovery of substantial quantities of finished and unfinished plaster that can be recognised in the current Rococo ceiling of the room. Post-excavation work will attempt to identify the origins of the plaster: whether it was unused material during the dining room's decoration or imported from another refurbished room in the palace.
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| The Rococo ceiling of the room |
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| Detail of the Rococo ceiling |
early 19th century fireplace |
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