Eltham Palace

When you think of royal residences in the London area you think of Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and perhaps the Tower of London or Hampton Court. No one would mention Eltham Palace even though it is where the young Henry VIII spent the vast majority of his childhood.. Eltham Palace is in a far flung corner of suburban south east London thus is a little known gem far far away from the touristtrap of central London. It's a palace with a difference as it is more cosy, intimate and at first sight not very royal at all due to the new 1930s wing. You may recognise the interiors as it has been used in films and television programs set in the 30s such as I capture ...  Read the complete review

For many years I have been a card carrying member of English Heritage, taking an interest in all aspects of historic sites and buildings. As with many such memberships, after the initial flush of interest passed, and having visited most of the sites in the south of England my annual membership card rarely came out of my wallet. Then, just over four years ago, one of those life changing events occurred, I met my Polish wife, who amongst many other things in life, shared my interest in historic buildings and the more simple pleasures of days out in the English countryside. On her first visit to England, for two weeks, during the Foot and Mouth summer ...  Read the complete review

Eltham Palace is a short train ride out of central London (regular trains from Victoria or Charing Cross), and well worth the trip. This English Heritage property is a fascinating house and garden, combining the remains of a mediaeval palace with state-of-the-art 1930s design. In the Middle Ages, from the 14th Century, Eltham was a royal palace. The Courtaulds bought the Palace in the 1930s, and somewhat controversially set about building their dream home. They kept what remained of the original palace – basically the great hall with its fabulous hammerbeam roof, to which they did add some faux mediaeval touches of their own. These include stained ...  Read the complete review