Henry VIII's forgotten palace that was once grander than Hampton Court

The remains of the Archbishop's Palace in Otford, also known as the Otford Palace (Image: Colin Bowdery) When you think of Otford, the tranquil River Darent, magnificent historical buildings and awe-inspiring views of the North Downs likely come to mind. But this charming village in west Kent also houses a lesser-known Tudor treasure - Otford Palace. Once among Europe's most splendid palaces, it was the backdrop for several key events during the turbulent reign of Henry VIII .

Nowadays, all that remains are the ruins of the old tower, standing just under 12 metres high, which can still be visited. The palace, situated near Sevenoaks, covers roughly two and a half acres and is located on a combination of council-owned and private land. Intriguingly, some of the palace's external stone walls and Tudor brickwork can still be spotted in the front and back gardens of neighbouring homes, according to Historic England.

The palace first appeared in the Doomsday Book survey of 1086, where it was valued at £60. function loadOvpScript(){let el=document.createElement('script');el.

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