The ancient Essex palace that Henry VIII gave to his wives that you now can't see
In a picturesque village on the border of Essex, a grand palace once stood. Havering-atte-Bower (formerly in Essex and since 1965 now in the London Borough of Havering) is home to one of the most the grand royal residencies in English history.
Built before 1066 and abandoned in 1686, no trace remains of Havering Palace. And yet the history behind the walls that no longer existed above ground level by 1816, lives on.
The building is of Late Saxon origin. Most notably for Essex, in the Tudor period it was seized by Henry VII from the Widow of Edward IV. The King gave the palace to the first three of his wives; Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour.
It was said to be the favourite residence of the royal consorts, the Queen's residence being known as the Bower. Havering Museum had a detailed model of the palace and how it would have looked in all its glory during the reign of Elizabeth 1 in 1578.
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The palace was located on what is now the Village Green, near St. John the Evangelist Church. Havering Museum states: "It is likely there would have been a Palace, or hunting lodge, at Havering-atte-Bower as early as the 7th Century during Saxon times. This, the first Royal Palace, would have been built by Sigeberht the Little (king of Essex 617-653), who lived in the area. It would have been a large barn-like wooden structure."
"The second Palace was built by Edward the Confessor, who reigned as King of England from 1042-66. Edward gave the Manor of Havering to Harold Godwinson, who later succeeded him as King Harold. When Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Manor and Palace was taken over by the new monarch, William the Conqueror, who reigned from 1066-87."
The palace was used by the all Kings and Queens of England until Charles 1 in 1631, when the building deteriorated. The museum model was made by three members of the Romford Historical Society and can be viewed here