Eltham Palace & Gardens: How to Spend a Day in Greenwich (SE London)

How to Spend a Day in Greenwich: Visit Eltham Palace & Gardens 

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a random sidequest turning into a rewarding adventure, and Eltham Palace ended up being exactly that. The site consists of a huge mansion home, which is connected to a 600-year-old medieval Great Hall, and surrounded by a moat, along with 19 acres of carefully curated and cared-for gardens. As the name suggests, it’s located in Eltham, which is in the Greenwich Borough, just southeast of Maritime Greenwich and its many attractions, like the Queen’s House and the Painted Hall. 

Now, we arrived only about two hours before it closed, but I think the ideal itinerary would involve arriving just after opening and spending the full day browsing the grounds. There’s even an on-site cafe that’s open year-round, so you can start with some coffee and bakes in the morning, and then toss back some lunch later in the day after working up an appetite touring the main house. Follow it up with a moast-side, post-meal nap to round out your adventure. 

Alternatively, if you’re already out exploring Southeast London, you can hit up all the sites around Greenwich Park early in the day, and then spend the afternoon at the Palace. A bus from the riverside attractions to Eltham only takes about 30 to 40 minutes. It’s also possible to cycle and drive as there is parking on site. 

Ticket Costs at Eltham Palace in Greenwich, London

Eltham Palace is not one of the free things to do in London, and rests at a more moderate cost level of around £25 for adults with reduced rates available for booking tickets online ahead of time. [For reference, Tower of London tickets run about £37.] There isn’t a restriction on how long you can stay onsite, so essentially, you can go and spend the entire day roaming around the grounds, relaxing, and getting your money’s worth. Additionally, English Heritage members visit for free, so if you live in the UK and spend a lot of time exploring, or if you live in SE London and want to visit the Palace often, then opting for an annual membership could end up saving you a significant amount of money. 

When we stopped by, there were numerous people enjoying a quiet afternoon on the benches or on blankets moat-side. I imagine spending a day reading by the water or sketching the various plants throughout the gardens; it’s the perfect location to romanticize your life! 

Eltham Palace History: What You Need to Know

Domesday Settlement

The earliest record of the property dates back to a land survey in 1086 recorded in the Domesday Book. At this time, it was a manor with a moat reportedly owned by the half-brother of William the Conqueror. There were various owners throughout the next two centuries with the final non-royal owner being Anthony Bek, a very famous Prince Bishop closely tied to King Edward I.

Popular With the Royals (Including Henry VIII)

In 1305, Bek gifted Eltham Manor to Edward II as a means to fortify his alliance with the royal family. Now dubbed Eltham Palace, it quickly became a favorite royal hang out in the following centuries with each generation making their own improvements and additions, including Edward IV’s building of the Great Hall in the 1470s. 

Popularity with the royals continued through to the Tudor line with Henry VIII, who spent much of his youth calling Eltham home. However, in his adult life, his visits were limited, and the heyday of royal life at Eltham Palace came to a close. 

The Forgotten Palace

In the following centuries, the property fell into disrepair first due to not being maintained by the government, followed by the intentional destruction of various elements after the property was sold to an army officer from Essex, Colonel Nathanial Rich. Up through the mid-1800s, the site served as a farm with various attempts to save parts of what remained, especially to the Great Hall, serving to extend its life but never returning it to its former glory. 

Stephen and Virginia Courtauld 

It wasn’t until 1933 that Eltham Palace was granted a second chance to shine. A wealthy couple from central London looking for some fresh air and a project, Stephen and Virginia Courtauld purchased a lease through the Crown, taking on the challenge of building and blending a modern mansion with the historic remains on the property. What resulted was an incredible mix of new and old, including a careful restoration of the Great Hall, magazine-worthy Art Deco details throughout the interior of the new house, and breathtaking gardens spread across the 19 acres. 

The Courtaulds went beyond restoring the property and turned it into a social hub where they regularly entertained celebrities, royals, creatives, and politicians. Essentially, they were fabulous, fun, and rich-rich. The Courtaulds lived a glamorous Great Gatsby-type life, even during the Great Depression, and add their pet lemur (please don’t buy exotic pets, friends), Virginia’s rebellious personality (total baddie, btw), and their incredible love story, their time at Eltham Palace is deserving of a TV series, film, or novel. This lifestyle continued up through World War II until 1944, when they decided to move first to Scotland and then modern-day Zimbabwe. 

After their departure, the Army Educational Corps used the site until 1992, and English Heritage took full control in 1995, making it accessible to visitors through ongoing building and garden restorations. 

Eltham Palace’s Queer History

Southeast London has multiple LGBTQ+ landmarks, historic sites, and points of interest, including the Queen’s House and the National Maritime Museum. Yet, Eltham Palace has its own incredible queer history that’s far too often overlooked. 

Bringing the property back to life may have been funded by the Courtaulds, but the design was driven by their architects, John Seely and Paul Paget. The brilliant team were a couple in every version of the term. Dubbed “the partners” by their social circle, they were owners of Seely and Paget, the architecture firm, as well as romantic partners. 

After their (controversial) success at Eltham Palace, they continued working on restoration, repair,  and design projects across the UK, including Westminster Abbey. They stayed together until Seely’s passing in 1963. 

The English Heritage Podcast even has an episode on Seely and Paget, if you’d like to learn more about them.

 

5 Must-See Things at Eltham Palace

The property is huge! There are 18 rooms open to the public at the main house, spanning three floors (ground, first, and basement), which includes the Great Hall, as well as plenty of outdoor space with unique gardens and landscaping. Ideally, visitors are spending a full day on the grounds, but if your time is limited, these are five features that I would prioritize seeing while onsite. 

Note: There are volunteers stationed all over the property, and they know their stuff! If you get lost or are unsure of the next place to go, just look for someone with a name tag or branded polo. 

1. Art Deco Entrance Hall

Visitors to Eltham Palace start the mansion tour at the main Entrance Hall. When you walk up, there are signs as well as a volunteer to help guide you through the doors, which will lead you into a very grand, circular room with seating in the middle. Hang on, that sentence makes it sound far too normal, when in actuality, it’s GRAND capital “G”. 

The Entrance Hall was designed by Rolf Engströmer, mixing an Art Deco base with Swedish design elements. And every corner of the space lets you know very quickly that you’ve entered somewhere elevated. The round walls are wrapped in richly warm wooden panels with intricate artwork built into them, depicting Italian and Scandinavian scenes. On either side of the entrance, you’ll see two epic wooden staircases with plush carpets inviting you to explore the upstairs bedrooms. (There’s also an elevator for accessibility, but when we went in August 2026, it was out of order, unfortunately, so be sure to check ahead of time.)

While your eyes will be drawn around the room, take a minute to look up. Filling the room with natural light, the center of the ceiling features a glass and concrete dome, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. (That grand capital “G” is really showing off here.)

The entrance hall of Eltham Palace is an epic way to be introduced to the home and makes a long-lasting impression. It’s also the home base for the interior tour, as all the other parts of the property branch off from it, so you’ll come back to it at the end of each section to reach another. 

2. The Boudoir & Map Room

Moving from the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall via a corridor, you’ll come to the Boudoir, which was Virginia’s private escape. During the tour, the signage mentions that this is where she’d escape during larger parties when she needed a break. I imagine if you got an invite to hang out there, you knew you were IN. 

The room is larger than the entire ground floor of my London terrace, the walls lined with wood and a built-in couch surrounded by bookshelves inviting you to take a seat and enjoy a post-dinner cigarette. (You can’t, in fact, sit as it’s roped off to protect it, but no one can safekeep your imagination *wink*.) The real star of the show is the larger-than-life leather map of Southeast London surrounding the fireplace. 

At the back of the room there’s a closet-like opening that grants access to the entrance of the Map Room, which was unearthed back in 2015. It had previously served as a storage room, but once they released there was treasure underneath years of paint and wallpaper, conservation experts were able to carefully remove the in-between to reach the original maps and hand-drawn artwork from the Courthald’s era. As a self-described cartography fanatic, the Map Room was a pleasant surprise! 

3. Medieval Great Hall of Eltham Palace

As mentioned earlier, the Great Hall dates back to the 15th century during the time of King Edward IV. It’s extraordinary enough to walk into a space with 600 years of history, but the visual impact of the Great Hall is next level. The oak ceiling is breathtaking with ornate detailing, perfectly contrasted by the stone base and heavy drapery on the walls. The stained glass is minimal but helps seal the deal as one of the most beautiful halls in London. 

@twosapphichags

Your sign to spend the day at Eltham Palace this weekend. 📍Eltham Palace 🗺️ Greenwich Borough, SE London 🎟️ £25 (discount for pre booking // using public transport) HOW TO GET THERE 🚊 Eltham Station 🚌 Stops: Eltham Church/Court Yard, Eltham Church/Well Hall Road OR 🚊 Mottingham Station 🚌 Stops: Royal Blackheath Golf Club, Eltham Curvh/Court Yard, Kingsground/Eltham Palace Road The medieval Great Hall at Eltham Palace dates back to the 1470s during the reign of King Edward IV. #elthampalace #greenwichmarket #londonhotspots #thingstodoinlondon

♬ original sound – Britt & Tiff | 🏳️‍🌈 Travel

4. Virginia Courtauld’s Sunken Rose Garden

After finishing the house and hall tour, your focus is drawn outside. Go back out the front door and pivot to your left, following the sidewalk around the corner and down the side until you reach the wide open lawn. (Along the side path, look to your right to take in scenic views of central London.) Keep your eyes peeled for the stone step pathway on the right line of landscaping (right before the zinnias). This teeny, tiny staircase leads to a stone-arch walkway down to another set of lawns. If you turn right, you’ll very quickly see the Sunken Rose Garden. 

At first look, it’s not an in-your-face design with an overwhelming amount of foliage. Instead, there are just enough well-spaced plants to create a visual impact, offering a multi-level garden with a careful curation of roses, marigolds, and shrubs surrounding a small pond and a perimeter wrapped in lavender. Somehow, all the city noise is absorbed, and you’re left with a relaxing area that feels like your very own. 

5. The Palace Moat 

On the other side of the Rose Garden (or you can go back up and enter from the elevated green space) is the moat, which is filled with lily pads and huge carp. The trickle of the water, with the birds swimming and fish splashing about, is so incredibly peaceful. Take a walk around the water, grab a seat on one of the many benches, or relax on the grass and your nervous system will thank you. 

London Palaces: Celebrating Art Deco Design in Eltham

Whether you’ve got a full day in London or just a few hours, a visit to Eltham Palace in the Greenwich Borough is sure to leave you feeling like you’ve stumbled upon a secret oasis. It’s the perfect stop to take in some history, wonderful views, and enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of central. Prebook your tickets on the English Heritage website, and expand your tour of Southeast London with our Maritime Greenwich Guide. 

Thanks for stopping by and exploring London with us! We hope it’s not the last time we get to connect–stay in touch by joining our mailing list or by following us on socials. We can’t wait to see you again. <3