Visit Eltham Palace

Today I want to bring you my reasons to visit Eltham Palace. This secret royal palace in London is one of the city’s best under-the-radar gems, and it’s worth a special trip.

London can be a victim of its own success. The streets are crowded with maps and guidebooks, and every attraction in the city has a queue a mile long.

It’s not that we don’t love visitors in London; it’s just that when they’re here it’s harder for locals to enjoy the sights. But with a little out-of-the-box thinking, Londoners and in-the-know visitors can enjoy the landmarks without the crowds.

Step out of Zone 1 and the tourists fade away, opening up the city to those of us daring to venture beyond the comfort of Soho or St James’s. And I personally like to visit Eltham Palace.

Eltham Palace History

Eltham Palace isn’t exactly on the tourist trail. Way down in southeast London, it’s a train ride from most places locals frequent. But it dates all the way back to 1305, when it was presented to King Edward II.

Later it was a childhood home of Henry VIII, and more recently it became the stomping grounds of the wealthy Courtaulds, who turned Eltham Palace into an Art Deco masterpiece with stunning gardens.

Today Eltham Palace is one of many English Heritage sites in London. It can be visited for free if you get a membership.

The palace is a great place to visit if you like a mix of Tudor halls and Art Deco dining rooms. The gardens and grounds are ripe for exploring, too.

Eltham Palace Visit

I’m here to visit Eltham Palace and take advantage of its location away from the touristy heart of London. As soon as I arrive, the peaceful gardens transport me to the countryside and prove my efforts are worth it.

Eltham Palace Gardens

As I make my way across the old stone bridge that spans the moat—it’s the oldest working bridge in London—I take in the pebbled paths lined with the yellows and purples of spring irises.

Goslings nestle together along the waterfront, their protective parents standing guard beneath the rocky slopes of the gardens above.

In front of the palace, clouds of lavender wisteria embrace columns and pergolas like something out of a classical dream.

Eltham Palace Interiors

Once inside, I discover the world of the Courtaulds. The house itself is a stark contrast to many stately homes in London and the rest of the UK.

There are no Rococo explosions of gilded fantasy here; it’s all simple, geometric Art Deco elegance. It’s understated and refined. Well, except for the lemur. But I do love that they had a pet lemur.

From the billiard room to the boudoir, each room in Eltham Palace has information about the occupants and glamorous guests that frequented the estate in its 1930s heyday.

Their stories help bring the everyday life of the place alive on a visit to Eltham Palace.

The rooms also have a number of interactive exhibits, from perfume bottles that visitors can smell to a basement featuring World War II memorabilia and a closet full of vintage clothes to try on.

The last of these mostly attracts teenage girls intent on taking selfies, although I also see a grown man getting friendly with a fur coat. There’s something for everyone who visits Eltham Palace.

And there’s certainly something for those with a taste for the further reaches of history. The Great Hall at Eltham Palace still gives a nod to the Henry VIII days, with its hammerbeam roof and heavy wood furniture.

Its cavernous air holds the magic of the famous king’s era, and as I walk across the wide floor I can almost smell the meaty feasts and roaring fires of his time.

Eltham Palace Grounds

My visit of Eltham Palace’s interior finished, I wander back outside to the gardens. Beyond the manicured flower beds and pretty reflecting pools I find wild fields with secret benches and overgrown fences hiding pastures full of horses.