The house that came to be known as 'The Old Palace' in Bromley-by-Bow was built in 1606 as a Jacobean residence. There was a local tradition that it was built as a hunting lodge for King James I, but there is only circumstantial evidence to support this claim. In 1893 the London School Board declared that it planned to demolish the house and build a new school on the site. This prompted a public outcry, led in part by the craftsman CR Ashbee, later founder of the Survey of London. Despite protests, the house was indeed demolished in 1894. However, parts of the house were sold piecemeal prior to demolition, with the State Room, some panelling and an oak doorway now held by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This record photograph was taken by the London Survey Committee, forerunner of the Survey of London.
This is part of the Series: RBO01/81 Early Photographic Print Collection: Tower Hamlets; within the Collection: RBO01 Early Photographic Print Collection
Source: Historic England Archive
Ceiling, Decorative Plasterwork, Jacobean House