Edward IV's Great Hall
Built between 1475 and 1483, its hammerbeam roof spans 11 metres — the third largest surviving medieval hall roof in England, after Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford.
The palace's full history →Eltham, South-East London
A medieval royal palace,
rewritten in Art Deco.
Eltham Palace is one of London's most extraordinary heritage sites: Edward IV's fifteenth-century Great Hall joined to a 1930s modernist home built by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. This independent guide covers opening times, tickets, highlights and the practical detail you need to plan a visit.
Why visit
Two great houses. One address.
Very few places in Britain let you walk directly from a fifteenth-century royal hall into one of the country's best-preserved 1930s interiors. At Eltham you can, in a single doorway. Between the two is the childhood of Henry VIII, the demolitions of the Civil War, and the last high style of the interwar rich.
The Courtauld house
Seely & Paget's 1936 remodel added a circular entrance hall lit by a domed rooflight, a gold-mosaic bathroom for Virginia Courtauld, and a heated bedroom for the family's pet lemur.
Room-by-room highlights →19 acres of gardens
A rock garden, sunken rose garden, and a medieval moat crossed by London's oldest working stone bridge, c.1400. Free to walk before and after ticketed hours in season.
Inside the gardens →
A short history
From royal nursery to Art Deco villa
Eltham was a royal residence from 1305, given to Edward II by Bishop Antony Bek and expanded by every medieval monarch that followed. Edward IV added the Great Hall. Henry VIII grew up here. By 1600 the palace was ruinous; for three centuries the Hall was used as a barn. In 1933 the textile heir Stephen Courtauld and his wife Virginia leased the ruins from the Crown, built a modernist home against them, restored the Hall, and opened one of the most unusual houses in Britain.
Read the full historyPlan your day
Everything you need before you go
Outdoors
Nineteen acres, one very old moat
The gardens were re-designed for the Courtaulds in 1934 around the medieval moat that has enclosed the palace site since about 1300. Highlights include the sunken rose garden, the rock garden, a Victorian cascade, and long views over the wildflower meadow to the south lawn.
Walk the gardens
Common questions
What is Eltham Palace?
Eltham Palace is a medieval royal palace in south-east London joined to a 1930s Art Deco house. Edward IV's Great Hall of 1479 survives alongside a modern residence commissioned in 1933 by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. It is managed by English Heritage and open to visitors.
How long should I spend at Eltham Palace?
Most visitors spend two to four hours on site. Allow around 75 minutes for the Art Deco house and Great Hall, and another hour to walk the 19 acres of gardens. Add time for the café and the medieval moat bridge.
How do I get to Eltham Palace by public transport?
The nearest stations are Mottingham (about 15 minutes' walk) and Eltham (about 25 minutes' walk), both served by Southeastern trains from London Bridge, Charing Cross and Cannon Street. Bus routes 126, 161, 162 and 314 stop within a short walk of the entrance.