Palace House Mansion, Newmarket, Suffolk

Client – Forest Health District Council
Date of Completion – 2002

King Charles I came to Newmarket in the early 1600s pursuing such pastimes as horseriding, hawking and coursing, later establishing a royal palace there. Following the Civil War and the Restoration of the Monarchy, King Charles II built his own palace to the east of the previous, ruined palace. The new building was completed in 1671 to a design by William Samwell.

By the early 1990s Palace House was in private ownership and in a very poor, damp condition with much of the historic brickwork covered in hard cement render. The building was purchased by Forest Heath District Council who commissioned Freeland Rees Roberts for its full restoration and repair. The discovery of what may be the oldest surviving vertical sliding sash window in England involved some modifications to the design at a late stage to allow its retention and display. The building now incorporates a Tourist Information Centre and provides a venue for public and private events and civil ceremonies.