Old Palace Croydon: east range of the north court

Old Palace Croydon: East Range of the North Court

This connecting range of lodgings sits between the chapel and the guard chamber. It was built principally in the 1490s as part of Morton's building campaign, then substantially reconfigured during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Materials and Construction

The range is built principally in red-brown brick with diaper work in vitrified brick to the east and buff and red brick to the west. Some fragments of flint and rubble stone survive at the base of the western wall.

Plan and Development

The skewed plan suggests an early range that was later altered and built over during the 1490s, before being reconfigured again in the 17th and 18th centuries. The chamber at first-floor level, which was remodelled and raised in height in the 18th century, links the hall and private apartments to the chapel via the main stair, with small chambers alongside it and above. Additional 21st-century accommodation has been created within the roof space.

East Elevation

The east elevation presents two storeys with an attic, roughly symmetrical following 18th-century alterations. It is rendered in red-brown brick with diaper work in vitrified brick. A straight joint marks the junction above the first-floor window to the chapel range. The ground floor contains a pair of casements in flush frames with segmental arched heads. Roughly central is a first-floor canted oriel window with a lead base and slate roof, featuring a six-over-six pane central sash with eight-pane flanking lights. To each side is an arch-headed window beneath a round arch: to the left (south) a six-light window, to the right a 20th-century window with a central panel flanked by narrow margin lights. At attic level stands a pair of hipped dormers.

West Elevation

The west elevation facing the north court is rendered in red and buff brick over three storeys and the attic, roughly symmetrical either side of a large central external stack. Flanking the stack at ground-floor level is a 20th-century door with flanking fixed lights and a small-paned casement window, each set beneath a broad segmental arch. At first-floor level is a pair of eight-over-eight pane sashes (that to the left horned), both set beneath segmental arches. Above is a pair of casement windows with cills of different heights: that to the left with plain lights, that to the right with leaded lights. A pair of flat-roofed dormers with two-leaf timber casements sits above.

Undercroft

The western room (kitchens) at undercroft level contains possible sections of wall plate on both outer and inner walls. In the inner wall is a heavily altered timber doorcase with a depressed arched head and sunk spandrels on its outer, eastern face, set within a repaired timber architrave. An opening (now blocked by 20th-century fixtures and fittings) connected this room to the undercroft beneath the guard chamber. To the east side are inserted WCs and a distinct small room accessible only from the chapel undercroft via an arched stone doorcase with a door of broad vertical planks.

First Floor

The eastern room forms an antechamber to the chapel and was remodelled in the 18th century under Wake. It features a deep moulded cornice and mostly 18th-century full-height panelling. A blocked doorway appears in the south wall, while a doorway through to the chapel with panelled sides opens to the north. A simple marble fire surround with an inserted cast-iron grate sits centrally in the north wall.

The two western rooms (likely formerly a single space) face the inner courtyard and have exposed moulded ceilings with moulded cornices and joists. In the north room the window has panelled linings. The room above, presumably altered when the chamber below was heightened, has a moulded cornice and ceiling, a moulded doorcase to the eastern partition wall, and panelling set in narrow vertical panels with moulded rails and muntins. A blocked door at the north end corresponds with the panelling scheme.

Roof

The roof comprises two tiers of purlins and collars with queen struts. Some components have a felling date of 1486–1511, indicating they form part of the primary phase. The roof space was remodelled in the 2000s to provide additional office accommodation for the school, bringing the roof void above the heightened first-floor room on the east side into use and introducing a mezzanine at the west end, accessed by stairs built against the north wall.