ABSTRACT
The very great importance of London as England’s largest city, it was often shunned as a place of residence by a succession of English monarchs. The scale and grandeur of Wolsey’s Hampton Court is even more remarkable when contrasted with Fulham Palace further downstream. Built for Richard Fitzjames, Bishop of London, Fulham Palace it is much smaller in size reflecting not only the bishop’s lower income than that of the Cardinal but his more modest ambitions. Nevertheless, the building is a fine example of early-Tudor architecture, its red brickwork exhibiting diaper patterns of dark purple seen best from its imposing courtyard. Almost certainly devoid of Renaissance ornamentation, the Tudor palace was a substantial redbrick edifice built around four courts. All that remains of it are its tall gatehouse flanked by octagonal turrets, its chapel reminiscent of the Watching Chamber at Hampton Court, and a few other parts of the original building.
