Eltham Palace is a short drive from where I live and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful place so near. The palace is now so beautifully Art Deco that it is easy to forget that its history goes back to 1300. Given to Edward II in 1305, Eltham Palace was used as a royal residence for two centuries, being home to one or two of our most famous and controversial monarchs. It was the favourite palace of Henry IV and it was where he hosted Manuel II Palaiologos, the only Byzantine Emperor to visit England, in 1400. There was a tremendous joust given in his honour on the tilt yard which still exists today. Home to the surviving Great Hall, Eltham Palace has been host to many royal banquets and events, Prince Henry – later to become Henry VIII – would have been in attendance at many as it was here where he grew up. The Tudors liked to hold Christmas here, as it was a secluded place with plenty of surrounding land for hunting.
Despite still belonging to them, Eltham Palace was no longer used by the royals by the 1630s and Sir Anthony van Dyck (Flemish Baroque artist) was given a section of the building to use as his private country retreat. The English Civil War saw the palace change forever. The woodland and parks surrounding it were destroyed and the palace and the chapel were in ruins by 1656. Charles II bestowed what was left to John Shaw; the Great Hall, the former buttery and a bridge across the moat. It remained in the Shaw family until the 1890s.
The present palace was built in the 1930s and so began the joyful rejuvenation of a once much-loved royal residence. 1933 saw Stephen Courtauld, an English philanthropist, and his wife Virginia “Ginie” acquire a 99 year lease on Eltham Palace. They hired Seely & Paget (architects who would go on to restore bomb-damaged buildings as famous as Westminster Abbey following WWII) to restore the Great Hall and build a family home attached to it. The design of the main house was inspired by the work Sir Christopher Wren had produced at Hampton Court Palace. The interiors were decorated in the Art Deco style and Swedish designer Rolf Engstromer created the wonderfully dramatic domed Entrance Hall that is hard to forget once seen. If you are a Poirot fan, you may recognise this hall from one or two episodes. Brother of art collector Samuel Courtauld, Stephen had many beautiful paintings installed. There are a few original Turners in his office. Quite exquisite! The Courtaulds were keen gardeners and enjoyed having family around them, they redesigned the gardens and would enjoy them along with family and their beloved dogs. The palace was given to the Royal Army Educational Corps in 1945 and the Courtauld family moved to Scotland.
English Heritage took management of Eltham Palace in the 1990s and made some much needed repairs and restored it to its Art Deco glory. The palace and gardens are open to the public and you can experience the pleasure of exploring a 1930s home and then walking into a Medieval banqueting hall. It’s an extremely special building that means a lot to local people, having this gem on our doorstep is a real treat. I took a couple of photographs when I was visiting with my mother so I have included them here. I was 8 months pregnant and very uncomfortable, but slowly waddling around made it possible for me to take all the history in.
Thank you for reading, and as always until next time, stay safe and well.
Gilbert Tours 