12th - 14th Centuries

Henry I granted the manor of Shene to the Norman family of Belet in the 12th century, and it remained in their possession for over 100 years. By 1290, Edward I had acquired large areas of Shene, and by 1313 he owned the manor itself, south of the area now known as the Old Deer Park. Edward founded a house of Carmelite monks at the manor, where they stayed for two years until Edward moved them to Oxford. He then gave the manor to his wife, Isabella, who held it until her death in 1358. Edward III inherited the manor from his mother, Isabella, and converted it into a moated royal palace with a hunting ground extending as far as Kew.

Edward III died at Shene in 1377 and his grandson, Richard II, inherited the property. Shene was apparently the favourite home of Richard and his wife, Anne of Bohemia, and, when Anne died of the plague at Shene in 1394, Richard demolished the palace, allegedly out of grief. The building material was reclaimed and was used at both Windsor and the Tower of London. Strangely, the gardens at Shene Palace were retained and were still being maintained at the end of the 14th century.

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