King John'S Palace, Southampton

King John's Palace is a ruined Norman merchant's house in Southampton, England. Incorrectly believed for a period to have been used by King John, resulting in its modern name, the west wall of the house was converted to form part of the city's defensive walls in the early 14th century and its archways contain what may be Britain's earliest surviving gunports. The structure now forms part of the Tudor House Museum in the city and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. HistoryThe original house was built either in the 1180s or around 1170 on the quayside, with direct access to the town's West Quay. In the early 14th century the house was owned by Mayor John Wytegod, who was a wealthy merchant. The street alongside the house, now named Blue Anchor Lane, was called Wytegod's Lane after the mayor. In 1338 the largely defenceless town fell victim to a French raid as part of the English Channel naval campaign, 1338–1339; following this, Edward III ordered that Southampton's sea defences be strengthened. As a result, the house became part of the town's defensive wall and the door and windows which faced the quay were blocked or converted into gun slits. The building became a coach house and stables in the early 18th century and housed a coal merchant's business in the early 19th. At the beginning of the 20th century the building housed a private museum belonging to a Mr Spranger. The roof was removed in the early 20th century leaving the building a shell, which is how it remains. The building is known as King John's Palace today as historians originally believed King John resided in the building in the early 13th century; however this belief is now understood to be incorrect.

King John's Palace is a ruined Norman merchant's house in Southampton, England. Incorrectly believed for a period to have been used by King John, resulting in its modern name, the west wall of the house was converted to form part of the city's defensive walls in the early 14th century and its archways contain what may be Britain's earliest surviving gunports. The structure now forms part of the Tudor House Museum in the city and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. HistoryThe original house was built either in the 1180s or around 1170 on the quayside, with direct access to the town's West Quay. In the early 14th century the house was owned by Mayor John Wytegod, who was a wealthy merchant. The street alongside the house, now named Blue Anchor Lane, was called Wytegod's Lane after the mayor. In 1338 the largely defenceless town fell victim to a French raid as part of the English Channel naval campaign, 1338–1339; following this, Edward III ordered that Southampton's sea defences be strengthened. As a result, the house became part of the town's defensive wall and the door and windows which faced the quay were blocked or converted into gun slits. The building became a coach house and stables in the early 18th century and housed a coal merchant's business in the early 19th. At the beginning of the 20th century the building housed a private museum belonging to a Mr Spranger. The roof was removed in the early 20th century leaving the building a shell, which is how it remains. The building is known as King John's Palace today as historians originally believed King John resided in the building in the early 13th century; however this belief is now understood to be incorrect.