The Palace of the Archbishops of York The Palace was built in the 14th and 15th centuries as the residence of the Archbishops of York. It was refurbished by Cardinal Wolsey, Archbishop of York 1514-30, Lord Chancellor to King Henry VIII. During the English Civil War the palace was occupied by the Scottish Commissioners only to be stripped of its lead by Parliamentarian soldiers and later robbed for building materials. The medieval State Chamber, now known as the Great Hall, and the Chapel survived, the former being used as a Courtroom and school. In 1907 both were incorporated into the Bishop's Manor, the now residence of the Bishops of Southwell. The Great Hall and Chapel are currently used by Minster and Town.