Activities

Eltham Palace is a unique combination of a Tudor palace and an Art Deco mansion surrounded by award winning gardens. While references to Eltham are found as far back as the Doomsday book, its heyday was during the Tudor reign when it was popular for its hunting grounds.  Indeed, Henry VIII spent much of his childhood there.  Like other Tudor Palaces, it fell into disrepair and ultimately only the Great Hall remained with its beautiful hammerbeam roof.  Then, in 1930, a modern, Art Deco extension was added to the Great Hall by members of the wealthy Courtauld family.  Their architects claimed inspiration from Christopher Wren and Hampton Court and the resulting exterior of the house is a lovely marriage of the medieval and 1930’s modern.

The Courtaulds decorated the interior in the Art Deco style and incorporated many of the latest innovations as well as state of the art technology of the times. A visit to Eltham Palace is described as “offering a glimpse into the world of the super-rich, leading society figures of the 1930s. And what a world it is! The Courtaulds spared no expense in creating an astonishingly ornate and exquisitely decorated residence, with magnificent wood panelling throughout, gilded decoration, and superb art and furniture.”

Our guided tour of the house will commence at 1:00 and will last 90 minutes.  Admission to the property also includes the beautiful gardens which can be visited before or after the house tour.

The cost of this activity is only for the private tour. Eltham Palace is part of English Heritage and Art Fund whose members’ visits are free.  In addition, concessions are offered and a 20% discount is available for arrival by train or bus, so please book your own admission ticket at English-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/.

Eltham Palace is a 10 minute walk from the Mottington Station which is 30 minutes by train from Charing Cross.  For those who wish to travel together, a group will leave from Charing Cross station at 10:15 to catch a train.  This will allow roughly an hour to visit the garden, and time for lunch at the café before joining the tour at 1:00. You are also welcome to make your own travel arrangements.

Admission to Eltham Palace, travel and lunch are at your own cost.  Your KCWC ticket is only for the house tour.