Lambeth Palace
Home and workplace of the Archbishop of Canterbury for 800+ years. Tours (on selected days) thread Tudor brickwork, state rooms and chapels with one of London’s oldest private gardens. Expect a compact but dense visit led by guides who balance church history, politics and architecture.
Opening Hours
What's not to miss inside?
Lollards’ Tower
Tudor power in brickA fortress-like tower whose name recalls England’s religious conflicts and crackdowns.
📍 Medieval range facing the Thames
State Rooms & Great Hall
Church, crown and nation under one roofCeremonial rooms rebuilt after WWII carry centuries of negotiations, oaths and awkward meetings.
📍 Principal floor of the palace
Palace Garden
One of London’s oldest private gardensBees, ancient trees and seasonal beds show the quieter side of an international job.
📍 Behind the main ranges
Lambeth Palace Library (exterior/intro)
Archive of the Church of EnglandFounded in 1610, its collections range from medieval manuscripts to modern church papers.
📍 Adjacent modern red-brick building
Inspire your Friends
- Lambeth Palace has been the Archbishop of Canterbury’s London home since the 13th century—older as an official residence than many royal palaces.
- Lambeth Palace Library, founded in 1610, is one of Britain’s oldest public libraries and the principal archive of the Church of England.
- The garden—about 13 acres—is among London’s oldest private gardens and hosts working beehives.
