Fulham Palace

Fulham Palace is like a smaller version of Hampton Court Palace, hidden away in Bishop's Park. It is a little gem that belonged to the Bishops' of London and it goes right back to the Neolithic age and through to the Saxon and Medieval period. Throughout each of these periods it has expanded and evolved with the times, adding on new parts to its history.

The Palace is on the river and the closest bridge and underground stations are Putney Bridge. It was one of 48 country homes that the Bishop of London owned. He would spend his summers there and recline in comfort. As a Bishop he was considered a Prince of the Church. They would invite touring Cardinals to their Palace and British monarchs would rely on their sound advice when they came to visit. Some of the monarchs would even stay at Fulham Palace. My favourite is when Queen Mary stayed at Fulham Palace, she had a room above the Great Hall and she could hear everything that went on as it echoed into her bed chamber.

The Fulham Palace was made into a museum in 1974 when the last Bishop Stadford retired and moved out of the Palace.

In all Heritage Grade 1 listed buildings all over England they only ever recruit volunteer tour guides. As a tour guide myself, I play with truth and with the past, as it is my role to inform people who are not in the know and to bring their imaginations to life. Volunteer implies that we are all passionate about what we do and therefore do not need to be paid for the time we give. I have two roles at Fulham Palace one is as a museum steward while the other is as a tour guide.

I was trained as a volunteer tour guide during a six week course by my boss and the curator of Fulham Palace, Miranda. I attended these sessions with my carer William Morgan, the famous coach of the London Scottish rugby team. During the training we were shown around some parts of the palace that were off limits to the public gaze.

While in training we practiced the speeches would have to give as guides and at home I would practice in front of a mirror. I would also shadow tour guides around on Open House days which are the Fulham Palace's busiest days of the year. This year on one Open House day I was the assistant tour guide for the afternoon, showing around various tourists parts of the palace that are usually closed of from the public.

One tourist asked me what the relevance to the Palace is today, and I replied that it is a calm oasis in the middle of London. The gardens are a delight to visit, and I believe that they could rival the famous Kew Gardens in their variety. The Palace is also full of original features and architecturally it is interesting as it covers such a scope of history.

My overall opinion of Fulham Palace is that it is one of Britain's hidden treasures; there is more than meets the eye. It is one of my favourite places in London because of the religious symbolic imagery that is hidden all over the palace.