Eltham Palace
What Visitors Say
Eltham Palace is a really amazing piece of English heritage. It is a stunning and unique location where a medieval Great Hall meets a glamorous 1930s Art Deco mansion. Striking Architecture: The contrast between the medieval history and the lavish Art Deco interiors is breathtaking. Beautiful Grounds: The 19 acres of award-winning gardens and the picturesque moat make for a perfect stroll. Membership Value: We bought an English Heritage membership to get access to 400+ other locations across England, and we don't regret it at all—it's well worth it! A must-visit for anyone interested in history and design.
Really amazing place and so interesting with the art deco 30s refurbishment, all kept in its original condition. I didn’t leave enough time for the gardens but what I did see were really beautiful. You have to get in by 3.30 before it closes at 4.
We visited the place because of free family day pass to English Heritage and I have to say the place is beautiful and very well preserved and presented. The Manor House is a mix of medieval history and 1930's Art Deco design. Garden and surrounding areas are also beautiful!!!! Nice, helpful staff, thank you. Highly recommended.
The Eltham Palace it's such a great place of contradictions. It is in busy London, yet the location is so peaceful and feels like you are at countryside; there are medieval ruins, and there is early XX century modern art deco; there are modern gardens.... And a moat and wooden bridges :) entering the Palace feels like you move in time to old James Bond movie and the rest of the house feels some comfortable, not pompous, eccentric but with pragmatism and cosines. Love the minimalistic approach that is well balanced with traditional accents (library). I think visiting the Palace today on a sunny autumn day gave the experience even more depth. Clean facilities, good parking availability, staff very friendly and helpful. So thankful for kids activities with stamps and quiz, and of course - play area, great with equipment bringing out lots from kids imagination. Thank you for a wonderful day :)
Absolutely beautiful. A Contained perfect stately home visit. The art deco interiors , even though only a mere 100 years ago. Felt last the distant past but within touching distance. Wonderful.
Highlights
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
Opening Hours
Fun Facts
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.
