Eltham Palace

In the civil parish of Eltham. In the historic county of Kent (Modern Authority of London Borough of Greenwich, 1974 county of Greater London).

Royal palace which originated from a C11 manor house and a bishops palace which was built by Anthony Bek, Bishop of Durham in 1295-1305. On his death in 1311 it passed to the crown and was used as a palace over the next 300 years until it was succeeded by Greenwich Park. The building is moated and comprises a Great Hall constructed in circa 1479 of stone, brick and with a tiled roof. The building is enclosed by a perimeter wall of stone and brick dating mainly to late C15 or C16. Towers are present in the southeast, northeast, southwest and northwest angles. The foundations of a chapel were located within the walls. The moat is 20m wide, 3m deep and crossed by two bridges.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 200288; 200289)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ42417399

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 408051
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.elthampalace.org.uk/
    http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Various-Pictures2.html
    http://www.greenwichletting.co.uk/eltham.html
    http://vrcoll.fa.pitt.edu/medart/image/England/eltham/mainelt.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/177/elthampalace.htm
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.103
    http://www.oldlondonmaps.com/viewspages/0152.html
• Books
  • Priestly, E.J., [forthcoming], Eltham Palace
    Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p226-30
    Nutt, Colin, 2004, The Eltham Palace Story (Thames House Books/ English Heritage)
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p14, 30, 86, 113-4, 129, 165
    Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern) p40-1
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press)
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p271-2
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p78-86
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p930-7 [plan]
    Brook, R., 1960, The Story of Eltham Palace (London)
    RCHME, 1930, Inventory of Historic Monuments in London Vol5: East London (HMSO) p103-8
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p129-33
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p303-4
    Buckler, J.C., 1828, An Historical and Descriptive Account of the Royal Palace of Eltham (London)
    Dunnage, H. and Laver, C., 1828, Plans, Elevations, Sections ... of the Great Hall of the Royal Palace of Eltham (London)
    Hasted, Edward, 1797 (2edn), A History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol1 p455- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53784
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p129
    Clapham and Godfrey, n.d., Some Famous Buildings and their Story (Westminster) p49-66
• Journal Articles
  • Charlton, J., 1987, 'Eltham Palace' Ancient Monuments Society Vol31
    Woods, Humphrey, 1982, 'Excavations at Eltham Palace, 1975-1979' Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol33 p215-265
    Kenyon, J.R., 1977, 'Early Gunports' Fort Vol4 p81
    Pragnell, H.J., 1968, 'Eltham Palace: Its Chapels and Chaplains' Archaeologia Cantiana,Vol83 p205-216
    Emery, Anthony, 1952, 'Eltham Palace' Archaeologia Cantiana,Vol74 p99-112
    Hussey, C., 1937 May, Country Life Vol81 p534-9, 568-73, 594-9
• Guidebooks
  • Turner, Michael, 1999, Eltham Palace (London: English Heritage)
    Strong, D.E., 1958, Eltham Palace, Kent (HMSO)
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Thurley, Simon, 1991, English Royal Palaces, 1450-1550 (unpub PhD thesis; London) p126-31 [available via http://ethos.bl.uk ]