Pigsties Adjacent to Archbishop’s Palace

The pigsties near the Archbishop’s palace are mentioned as an eyesore and a symbol of the palace’s decay. Cromwell’s instruction to demolish them is both a practical measure to restore the palace and a metaphorical act—clearing away the remnants of Wolsey’s fall to make way for his potential return. The pigsties represent the squalor and neglect that have overtaken Wolsey’s former residence, and their removal is a small but significant step in Cromwell’s ritual of devotion.

The pigsties clustered against the Archbishop’s palace wall are described by Cromwell as an eyesore, their presence a physical manifestation of the palace’s decay and Wolsey’s downfall. He orders their immediate demolition, framing the act as both an aesthetic improvement and a symbolic cleansing. The pigsties represent the obstacles—both literal and metaphorical—that stand in the way of Wolsey’s return and Cromwell’s ability to preserve the past. Their removal is part of the ritualistic preparation, but also a practical step toward restoring the palace’s former grandeur, even if that grandeur is now politically untenable.