Lurking on a side street a short walk from Croydon town centre is a former palace for the Archbishop of Canterbury — and it’s open to the public on a few days of each year.

The palace was built for the Archbishop at a time when Croydon was a suitable stopping off point for journeys between London and Canterbury. Built around the 1440s, the great hall and side rooms for the palace still exist, with the huge wooden ceiling in the hall being most impressive.

The building is now a school, and in between term times, the Friends of the Old Palace run a number of tours for the public to see the old building.

As it’s a school, no photography is allowed inside the buildings, and it’s very much a very old building that’s repurposed for a modern school. But tours include a lot of the old building and it’s worth the visit.

At time of writing, tours are available on the following dates:

April: Wednesday 12th, Thursday 13th, Friday 14th.

May: Tuesday 30th, Wednesday 31st, Thursday June 1st.

October: Tuesday 24th, Wednesday 25th, Thursday 26th, Friday 27th.

Check their website for the latest details about dates.

Tickets cost £7 for adults, £6 for concessions and £3 for children – payment by cash or cheque only.

Booking is essential on 0208 656 5563 or send an email to marybob1@hotmail.com. There’s no online booking.

Doors open at 1.30pm and the tours commence at 2pm, lasting approximately 2 hours.

All tours are guided and unaccompanied touring of the building is not permitted. The palace building is about a 10 minute walk from East Croydon station.