Eltham Palace and Gardens
Acquired by the future Edward II in 1305, Eltham Palace was originally a large manor house with vast parkland. In 1470 a Great Hall was added to the manor under Edward IV and this Great Hall is still visible today.
The palace was used as a royal residence until the 16th century and it played host to many Tudor Christmas celebrations.
Eltham was where Henry VIII grew up and where he met and impressed the scholar Erasmus.
Early in her reign, Anne Boleyn was involved in minor changes to the palace. For instance, ten of Anne’s badges were inserted in the glass of the gallery where her daughter Elizabeth used to play. We know that Anne visited the palace on a number of occasions, one being in 1534 when Elizabeth and Mary were both lodged at Eltham.
The happy memories of her time with Elizabeth would later be overshadowed by the accusations made by the Crown of adultery with her own brother allegedly taking place at Eltham in December 1535.
After the rebuilding of Greenwich palace, Eltham was less frequented and Henry VIII was the last monarch to spend substantial money on the palace.
Eltham eventually fell into complete ruin and was never recovered.
In 1933 an elaborate home was built on the site of the original palace and incorporates Edward IV’s Great Hall, which boasts the third-largest hammerbeam roof in England.
The home is among the finest example of Art Deco architecture in England and is also decorated internally in the decadent art deco style.
Its beautiful gardens incorporate remains of the original medieval palace and the 15th century bridge still crosses the moat.
For more information visit Eltham Palace and Gardens.
Sources:
Ives, E. The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 2004.
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