LHK: Noble Palaces in London

in Medieval London

In medieval times, there were lots of great houses or 'palaces' of the nobles and bishops within and immediately surrounding the walls of the City of London.
The King had his own palace at Westminster, next to the Abbey. Everyone else wanted to live nearby.
Each was a complex of buildings around a courtyard. The buildings would include:
- A great hall for greeting & eating.
- A chapel.
- Accommodation for the lord and his family.
- Accommodation for servants.
- Offices for running the household.
- A kitchen.
- A pantry for storing & preparing food.
- A buttery for storing beer and wine.
- A brewery for making beer.
- Stables for horses.
- Storehouses.
They were much like some of the medieval bishops palaces that can still be seen near cathedrals today, such Wells Bishop's Palace.
They were often named after the title of the owner. The picture is of Arundel House named after the Earl of Arundel.
Many of the finest palaces lined the Strand, like the Savoy Palace. This was the road between the City of London and Westminster.
In Tudor & Stuart times, many of these were replaced by big mansions, like Old Somerset House or Northumberland House.