Campaign to save our palace

Plans to restore Charing’s Archbishop’s Palace are finally being put into motion.

Although it has a rich history, the 1,200-year old Palace is declining and is featured high on the Historic England’s register of buildings at risk of being lost.

The Charing Palace Trust is a charity set up to “restore, revive and revitalise” the historic building which is located near the village church.

The trust was set up in September last year to stabilise the Palace, by raising the funds needed to buy the site and restore it.

The proposed plans for the land, which covers 4.5 acres and includes four Grade I listed buildings and a Grade II boundary wall, will be to make the palace again a central part of Charing.

This will be done by working with heritage professionals to restore the structures and then create facilities for heritage edu- cation, community interaction and events, cultural and leisure activities. The project this could take about 10 years.

Members of the Charing Palace Trust say the main purpose is to make sure the buildings remain sustainable and intact for future generations.

The next step for the trust will be to buy the building sometime next year. The current private owner of the palace has shown an interest in selling, with £1.5 million needed for the purchase and restoration.

For more information on the project, or to get involved, visit www.charingpalace.org

Archbishop’s Palace