The Architects and Craftsmen of Fulham Palace

      Signed Watercolour (c.1880) of the Gateway

After the festive but hectic holidays you may be looking for something relaxing to do. Why not visit an interesting little exhibition nearby? The Architects and Craftsmen of Fulham Palace is located in the Bishop Sherlock’s Room.  Something is sure to spark your curiosity, and you may even learn something about the Palace you never knew before. For instance, did you know that neo-Roman statuary known as "terms" or "boundary sculptures" were used as markers in 18th century gardens? The base of one has been found close to the moat. The exhibition curator Miranda Poliakoff also confirmed the architects who built the Gatehouse and Head Gardner House.

Well-researched themes are arranged around the perimeter of the room: “Stained Glass”, “Plaster”, “Wallpaper”, “Bricks & Timber” and Tiles, Inlaid Stone & Mosaic (“Revived Medieval Crafts”). The exhibition covers these represented applied arts from the Georgian and Victorian eras through to the mid- 20th century. It describes the architects and their patrons who transformed the Palace with ornate stained glass, plasterwork, and mosaic. Throughout the exhibition opinions are requested for proposed future changes, so now is a chance to have your say. 

The East window of the Chapel (in 1956 and today)

Beautifully highlighted with paintings, drawings, plans, old photos, building material and letters, used from the collection and borrowed from elsewhere, this exhibition reminds us of how decorative fashions changed even for those in the clergy. 

                                                Wallpaper samples on display

Don't miss the complementing craft exhibition by our young Bronze Arts Award artists (aged between 11 and 15). It sets out to imagine how Fulham Palace might look if the past bishops of London had left some of their personal belongings behind for the next generation of bishops to inherit. The objects and furniture in the exhibition have been inspired by ideas about decoration and craftsmanship that made ordinary items extraordinary.

These exhibitions are open during regular museum hours until 20 April 2017 - so please help spread the word! Follow this link for more information about related talks in January, February and March to learn more about the creation and conservation of the plasterwork, stained glass and woodcarving around the Palace. 

Miranda would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped make it such a success – those who helped put it together as well as those who continue to steward.

Nancy  - Vol Comms Asst

Christmas Party 2016

The Christmas party was a great success, thank you to all of you who came! It was lovely to mingle with volunteers both experienced and new, and to learn of the fantastic news that the Fulham Palace Trust has officially been awarded HLF funding! Congratulations to the staff! This incredible achievement will definitely make visiting and working at Fulham Palace much more exciting in the years to come. 

While indulging in mince pies and palace-made mulled wine (super tasty!), we had a laugh playing the marshmallow game, where strings of spaghetti were used to create a towering edifice topped by the sweet and the group with the highest construction won a box of Christmas biscuits (well done again team number 3!). We were also invited to make guesses on how many baubles hang on the Christmas tree (152 to be precise), with the closest guess winning another box of biscuits. 

All in all, it was a pleasant afternoon among Fulham Palace staff, volunteers and their guests. And since the Fulham Palace Mulled Wine was such a hit, we decided it would only be fair to share the recipe on here, so you can impress your guests this Christmas and make Fulham Palace known for one more special thing!  

Enjoy.

Ahou - Vol Comms Assistant

Fulham Palace Mulled Wine, courtesy of Jennifer Grubb, and adapted by Miranda Poliakoff.

Quantities are for about 40 small glasses so scale down the quantities to suit your occasion

4 x 1.5 bottles red wine (not too cheap, it will taste better if you spend a little more)

2 x I litre orange juice

100g dark brown sugar (start with this and then add more to taste towards the end)

3 oranges and spices in a muslin bag

For a better result and to save time, divide a box of cloves between the oranges, push them into the skin of the oranges and bake them in in a low oven for about an hour either the day before or a few hours before making the wine.   Put your chosen spices (on 5/12/16 Miranda used 2 standard spice jars of cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces, one jar of coriander seeds, and a handful of cardamom pods) onto the muslin, tie into the bag and bruise with a heavy weight, but don’t tear the muslin.

Get the largest pan you have, add the orange juice, wine, sugar and oranges.  Stir.  Tie the bag with a long string to the handle of the pan and float in the wine.  Bring the mixture to just before a boil, then turn down and simmer for a couple of hours before you plan to serve it.  Taste and add more sugar or orange juice as required.  Bring the heat up again before serving but don’t make it too hot or your guests may burn themselves.  A ladle and jug are useful for serving, but not essential.

Restoration Project News!

We are thrilled to announce that Fulham Palace Trust has received a confirmed grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) of £1,880,000 for the ‘Discovering the Bishop of London’s Palace at Fulham’ project.

Building upon the restoration work that was started at the Palace over 10 years ago, this major project will bring back to life and provide greater public access to the Tudor Quadrangle, Great Hall and other historic rooms and enhance the botanical gardens. 

This is the news we have all been waiting for, and we are absolutely delighted to share this result with you. Thank you for helping us to achieve this major grant! Providing we can raise the remaining £790,000, the 'Discovering the Bishop of London's Palace at Fulham' project will go ahead as planned. 

To find out more about the project and how to get involved, click here.

Volunteer Christmas Party 2016

It's that time of the year again, so brace yourselves for the start of the festive season, put on your infamous christmas jumper (not compulsory) and get in the spirit with our very own Christmas Party on Monday, December 5th, from 2:30 - 4:30pm! All volunteers and their guests are welcome. Guests need to pay a £5 entry fee at the door. Consumable goodies and mulled wine await you! 

We want to thank all our volunteers for offering their time to Fulham Palace this year, we wouldn't have been able to do all that we did if it wasn't for your generosity!

Hope to see all of you on Monday 5th of December, don't forget to RSVP!

Ahou, Volunteer Comms Assistant

Working In The Education Centre

I have been working in the Education Centre as a Comms Assistant for the past month and I must say that I find it very relaxing and positively appeasing. Of course, most of all, the reason why I love working here is because I enjoy my role. However, the space also plays a crucial part in my happiness at my role. The biggest reason is the fact that I get to enjoy sitting in a vast room that used to be a stable. Although it can get breezy in here, the rustic atmosphere makes me feel like I'm home. Some days are also full of life, as I encounter small children with their teachers doing arts and crafts while learning about the site's history with Jean, the Palace's Learning Assistant. She is in on the same day as me, and has the most amazing pot of dried lavender that fills the room with its sweet scent - thanks Jean! Moreover, the children's bursts of laughter and innocent questions reach my room and give it warmth. 

Also, during my time here, I have regularly met handy person volunteer Brandon who has been repainting the storage room, and the garden apprentices Josh and Daniel as they come in and out of the education centreom. It is nice to put faces to names! 

The only downside to working in the stables is that I can sometimes find myself alone, as my line manager's office is one floor above me and the last thing I'd expect to see at Fulham Palace is a lift! So if you're ever close by and want to have a friendly chat, do pop in, it would be nice to meet you! Although, I should probably get back to work soon...

Sincerely yours,

Ahou

Back in the day, when horses were the popular means of transport for people & goods

The Cat's Out of The Bag - A Poem by our very own Jamie Atwell

The Cat's Out of The Bag

Eddie got into a scrape

Whilst essaying a great escape,

At 4 a.m. when the alarm bell rang,

He saw his chance and out he sprang.

His opportunity to be free!

Only to be discovered under the marquee

By a horticultural bargee.

Now back in the Vinery he sits,

Enduring the taunts of mice, whilst bits

Of Cucamelon he grabs and gnaws,

And oft times licking his butter smeared paws -

A guaranteed way to end his "tours".

He realises now he must not roam

And that Fulham Palace is his home.

I need to plot better next time...

Curiosity Almost Killed The Cat

Paws up anyone who I have met in my three weeks stay so far...? To all the others, hi, my name is Edmund, and I am the newest addition to the Fulham Palace family. ...No, seriously! (Why do all you humans smile when I say that?!). I have been sent here to conduct some pest control research (and eat some snacks too) as I roam around the Fulham Palace garden. I say 'roam around' but really, they won't let me get out much after my little wander early this morning. Oh you haven't heard?

...Well, I was feeling pretty curious this morning around 4am, and as I found an opening in the vinery door I went to explore this new Palace of mine. But my was it cold at 4am!! No sooner had I left the vinery than I wanted to get back inside quick sharp... and I was HUNGRY!! Noone was around, and it was ever so dark... so I made my way to this big white building (which looks a bit like a "vinery", as they call it, actually) and found myself a little sheltered spot to hide in.  I'm glad Faye and Liam eventually found me as I was absolutely starving by late morning. Thankfully they spoilt me with lots of food which helped me get rid of the memory of my daunting experience. ... But just as I was getting relaxed again I got word of a plan to rub butter on my paws?! I hope I misheard the volunteer gardeners' plan to calm my nerves, why do they think that I would like to lick my greasy paws?

I'm a happy cat on most days, but please do not get on my tail. I love being brushed more than I love treats and my favourite human is Faye, (who I know doesn't want to rub butter on my paws - ugh). I will be coming out of the bothy once I have settled in and will be open to some petting/stroking but please do not overwhelm me as I will also need to work on how best to conduct my research, should I trap the mice or attack them immediately? Any suggestions, ideas and tips are hugely welcome! Paws out, till next time. - Edmund