Eltham Palace
A time-jump in one visit: a late-medieval Great Hall rescued by a 1930s Art Deco dream house. Millionaire patrons Stephen and Virginia Courtauld hired Seely & Paget to graft cutting-edge modernity onto royal ruins—think yacht-sleek paneling, a circular entrance hall lit like a sunrise, and hidden tech (from synchronized clocks to internal telephones). Outside, a moat, bridge and lawns fold the whole ensemble back into its Tudor origins. Give the house an hour, the gardens 30–45 minutes; if you love design details, linger in the entrance hall and map room before climbing to the Great Hall for the hammerbeam ‘ta-da’.
Opening Hours
Admissions
What's not to miss inside?
Great Hall (c. 1470s)
Hammerbeam drama from a Tudor palaceEdward IV’s hall—later a childhood playground for Henry VIII—survived centuries of change and now frames Art Deco views through medieval windows.
📍 North range, up from the Courtauld house
Entrance Hall
Art Deco set-piece with acoustic ‘glow’A circular, double-height hall with pale wood, concealed lighting and a domed ceiling—designed for cocktails, music and grand arrivals.
📍 Front door, ground floor
Virginia’s Bedroom & Bathroom
Luxurious modern living, 1930s-styleStreamlined wardrobes, built-in gadgets and a glamorous, ocean-liner bathroom show how the Courtaulds made comfort into design theatre.
📍 First floor, family rooms
Map Room
A world wall in walnutA bespoke, wood-veneered map wall plotted the Courtaulds’ travels and radio schedules—global curiosity, c.1936.
📍 Ground floor, off the main hall
Moat & Gardens Walk
Landscape stitching house to palaceA full moat and long lawns restore the palace silhouette; from the bridge, you get the best ‘two eras in one frame’ photo.
📍 Bridge and perimeter path
Inspire your Friends
- The Courtaulds’ ring-tailed lemur, ‘Mah-Jongg’, had its own heated sleeping quarters and could roam via a purpose-built runway—celebrity pet meets high design.
- Eltham’s 1930s house had a master-clock system, internal telephones and a central vacuum—smart-home thinking nearly a century early.
- Henry VIII grew up here; the Great Hall hosted Christmas revels where the young prince learned court spectacle long before he wore the crown.
- WWII army use scuffed the modern interiors; the site later fell into disrepair before a late-20th-century rescue returned the Deco sheen.
- Film scouts adore the Entrance Hall: its circular plan and concealed lighting read on camera like a Deco ocean liner’s grand saloon.
