Three years of labor have been accomplished following the successful refurbishment of Lambeth Palace, the London HQ for the Archbishop of Canterbury for nearly 800 years.
The project was the primary of its kind in over 70 years and led to plenty of archaeological discoveries.
Lambeth Palace is a Grade I listed constructing and commenced its life as “Lambeth House” in around 1200, when the Diocese of Canterbury acquired a property to be used as a residence for the Archbishop while on government business in London.
The £40 million project involved replacing 1,450 square metres of floorboards, the restoration and cleansing of 800 square metres of ancient stonework, the installation of two kilometres of heating pipes, 1.6 kilometres of water pipes and 50 kilometres of cables.
Great care was also taken to revive the timber roof of the Great Hall, which was damaged in World War Two. Workers did their best to balance historical accuracy with modern resilience of their restoration work.
During the three yr process the palace has remained up and running, hosting services, international guests and holding plenty of high-profile events.
The work led to the invention of plenty of artefacts dating back all of the technique to the twelfth century. The stays of the partitions of the medieval palace were also found.
The project aimed to make Lambeth Palace more environmentally friendly, according to the Church of England’s commitment to ‘net zero’. The renovation has also done much to enhance disability access to the palace.
The Rev Tosin Oladipo, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: “Before anything, Lambeth Palace is a spot of prayer and worship, hospitality and repair. It seeks to play its part within the lifetime of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion by making Jesus Christ known in our world today.
“As we prepare for the ministry of the following Archbishop of Canterbury, we’re delighted that this refurbishment means Lambeth can proceed to fulfil this role within the lifetime of the Church for a few years to come back.”
