• looking towards the<br />standing buildings
  • The moat flooded across<br />the moat entrance

Even Woking Palace succumbs to floods!


Woking Palace was among residences both old and new to feel the effects of the recent rain and flooding.

The original medieval hall was built upon sand islands only slightly higher than surrounding ground so the 13th century monument was flooded by heavy rain which more than filled the three sides of the moat.

As you’ll see from the photographs not only the moats, but even more areas of the Palaces grounds were inundated with floodwater such that access to the site might be better by boat than foot!

The moats of the manor house then palace used by Henry 7th, 8th, Elizabeth 1st and James 1st filled from their normal few inches up to the banks, and then into the central area including covering areas just recently excavated last September, and merging three of the likely fish ponds into one.

Once the water subsides the Friends of Woking palace will be organizing a clean up together with Woking Borough Council, the site owners. Please do volunteer if you think you can help.

One positive aspect of the flooding was that it gave a better sense of how the site might originally have been seen and approached as the view from Carters lane showed what is thought to be a land causeway into the site framed by two shallow lakes.

It also makes you think that, given the relatively low lying nature of the site, ruling monarchs probably chose the timing of their visits with care, as it believed they and their entourage usually arrived and departed by horse together with their retainers!

The Friends are confident that lasting damage will not have occurred and that all will be ready to restart excavations in September.

Before then there will be a series of talks about the fifth season of excavations in September 2013.
These will include:
Richard III
Archaeology techniques
The history of real tennis (reflecting current thinking that one of the extant buildings is the remains of a Royal tennis court).

Dates and venues for these will be announced soon.


Images copyright Geoff Hawkins.

Flooded entrance to site

Flooded entrance to site

Leading up to entrance

Leading up to entrance

Great Hall flooded

Great Hall flooded

River spreading across site

River spreading across site

Water everywhere!

Water everywhere!

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