Eltham Palace & Gardens
Court Yard, Eltham, Greenwich, London
Eltham Palace in south-east London pairs a medieval royal great hall with the Courtaulds' 1930s Art Deco house, set in gardens that mix medieval remains, a moat and Arts and Crafts touches.
Visit information checked 22 October 2026
Garden UK guide
Why visit Eltham Palace & Gardens?
Eltham's gardens are a rare mix of a medieval royal palace and a glamorous 1930s home. Stephen and Virginia Courtauld built their Art Deco house beside the 1470s Great Hall, and as keen gardeners they reshaped the grounds too. The result is a garden where old stone walls and a moat sit alongside planting with an Arts and Crafts feel, all within the edge of London.
Walk out from the house and you cross the moat by the 15th-century bridge, still in use. Fragments of the palace walls appear around the gardens, and there is still a jousting tilt yard, recalling the tournament held here in 1401 for the Byzantine emperor Manuel II. The Courtaulds' garden includes a sunken rose garden and a rock garden, and the planting softens the old masonry beautifully. The moat gives the garden its shape and some of its best views back to the house.
For gardeners, Eltham shows how to plant around old walls and changes of level, and how a strong boundary like a moat can frame a garden. English Heritage completed major repairs and restoration of the interiors and gardens in 1999. There is a cafe in the glasshouse, a shop and a play area for children, so the gardens work well for a family outing as well as a quiet stroll, and Mottingham railway station is about a 15-minute walk away.
What to see
- The 15th-century bridge across the moat, still in use.
- The moat garden, giving the grounds their shape and views to the house.
- The sunken rose garden from the Courtaulds' time.
- The rock garden, part of the Courtaulds' remodelling of the grounds.
- Fragments of the medieval palace walls and the jousting tilt yard.
- The 1470s Great Hall, with the third-largest hammerbeam roof in England.
Eltham Palace & Gardens through the year
- spring
- Fresh growth softens the old walls and the moat banks turn green.
- summer
- The sunken rose garden is at its best and the borders are full against the stonework.
- autumn
- Late flowers and turning leaves give a warm setting for the medieval remains.
- winter
- The bones of the garden, the moat, bridge and old walls, show clearly. Check English Heritage for winter opening.
The story behind the garden
Eltham was given to Edward II in 1305 and used as a royal palace from the 14th to the 16th century. Edward IV built the Great Hall in the 1470s, and the future Henry VIII grew up here. After the Civil War the palace fell into ruin, its parks stripped of trees and deer.
In 1933 Stephen and Virginia Courtauld took a 99-year lease, restored the hall and commissioned the architects Seely and Paget to build an Art Deco house beside it. Keen gardeners, they also substantially remodelled the grounds. The Courtaulds left in 1944, and the Royal Army Educational Corps used the palace until 1992. English Heritage took responsibility for the hall in 1984 and the whole site in 1995, completing major repairs to the interiors and gardens in 1999. The site is owned by the Crown Estate.
Plan your visit
- Best for
- Art Deco and history lovers who want gardens as well as interiors, and London visitors looking for a garden day out by train.
- Getting there
- Eltham Palace is in Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, south-east London, about a 15-minute walk from Mottingham railway station.
- Before you go
- The upper floors of the house are reached by stairs, and the gardens include slopes around the moat. Check the English Heritage website for current opening times, tickets and access before you travel.
Questions about visiting Eltham Palace & Gardens
Are the gardens at Eltham Palace worth visiting?
Yes. The gardens mix medieval remains, a moat crossed by a 15th-century bridge and Arts and Crafts influences, with a sunken rose garden and rock garden from the Courtaulds' time. They make a good contrast with the Art Deco house.
Who manages Eltham Palace?
Eltham Palace is managed by English Heritage and owned by the Crown Estate. English Heritage took on the Great Hall in 1984 and the whole site in 1995, and restored the interiors and gardens by 1999.
How do you get to Eltham Palace by train?
The nearest station is Mottingham, about a 15-minute walk away. English Heritage also highlights cycle racks on site and a partnership offering a discount on entry if you show your travel ticket.
Is there a cafe at Eltham Palace?
Yes. There is a cafe in the glasshouse, as well as a shop in the visitor centre and a play area for children, so it works well as a family day out.
Who were the Courtaulds at Eltham Palace?
Stephen and Virginia Courtauld took a lease on Eltham in 1933 and built an Art Deco house beside the medieval Great Hall. They were keen gardeners and remodelled the grounds, living there until 1944.
Garden features
Location
Court Yard, Eltham, Greenwich, London
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