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 has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

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

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ42417399

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 408051

• Web site links
  • http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/elthampalace/
    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.touruk.co.uk/london_houses/elthampalace_house1.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/177/elthampalace.htm
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/royal%20palaces/eltham%20palace.htm
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.103
• 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)
    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
    1977, 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 (English Heritage)
    Strong, D.E., 1958, Eltham Palace, Kent (HMSO)
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Thurley, Simon, 1991, English Royal Palaces, 1450-1550 (unpub PhD thesis; London) p126-31