Conquest House

Conquest House, located at 17 Palace Street, is a Grade II* listed building that dates back to the early years of the Norman Conquest, although it appears as a 16th-century timber-framed house that has been restored. The building stands three storeys tall and features timber framing with plaster infill and curved braces, topped with slated roofs. It has three restored mullioned and transomed windows, including a two-storey bay window supported by carved brackets. The ground floor showcases two recessed three-light mullioned windows and a continuous bay of eight lights with mullions and transoms. The doorcase on the right side has finely moulded spandrels. Inside, there is a 17th-century fireplace with a plastered mantelpiece and panelling, as well as a Norman undercroft and a fine 11th-century galleried hall. Notably, in 1170, the four knights De Tracy, De Moreville, Fitzurse, and Le Breton divested themselves of their arms here before seeking an audience with Becket in his palace, after which they rearmed themselves for the murder. Conquest House is part of a group that includes the Church of St Alphege and Nos 10 to 28.