? Woking Palace was the manor house of the old Royal Manor of Woking, in Surrey – England.
A manor house was recorded on the site in 1272.
The manor passed through various owners, including the Bassetts and Despensers, the Hollands and the Kents and the Beauforts.
? Lady Margaret Beaufort and her third husband, Sir Henry Stafford obtained the Manor by royal grant in 1466.
Lady Margaret, the mother of Henry VII, lived in the house from then, until at least 1471.
? The Palace was frequently visited by Henry VII on his accession to the throne, and also by his son Henry VIII, who extended and enlarged the Palace between 1515 and 1543.
The royal residence at Woking Palace consisted of a great hall and extensive outer buildings within a double moat.
During the Tudor period, it was used as a royal hunting lodge surrounded by parkland.
? Throughout Henry VIII’s reign, the manor house underwent regular maintenance as well as some alterations.
Additions approved by Henry VIII included a new wharf by the river and two new bowling alleys.
Henry’s alterations included room partitions, plastering and painting, replacement of glass in the windows, retiling of roofs and fireplaces, and the installation of new windows.
? Henry also had new kitchens built adjoining the Great Hall, and apartments for the king and queen.
All of Henry’s queens visited the Palace and would have enjoyed the excellent hunting in the park.
Mary I never visited the Palace, but further work was carried out between 1565 and 1594 during Elizabeth I’s reign.
? The Palace began to deteriorate, and was regarded as old fashioned.
It fell out of royal favour, and in 1620, the Palace was granted to Sir Edward Zouch, on one condition.
Every year on the feast of St.James, Zouch carried the first dish to the King’s table, and at the same time paid £100 in gold coin to the realm.
? Sir Edward eventually abandoned the Palace and built himself a new manor house at Hoe Place, possibly using some of the materials from Woking Palace.
Other materials may also have been taken from the Palace to be used in the construction of nearby Sutton Place.
? Over a period of time, local people took material from Woking, leading to it’s almost complete destruction.
By the reign of Charles II, the palace appears to have been abandoned and virtually ruined, and the Park was turned over to farming.
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