Eltham Palace
In 1305, the Bishop of Durham named Anthony Bek gave a large house to Edward II. This property became a royal residence from the 14th century until the 16th century. Henry IV favored this palace above all others during his reign. The court hosted Manuel II Palaiologos, the only Byzantine emperor to ever visit England. He stayed at Eltham Palace from December 1400 through mid-February 1401. A joust was held in his honor that winter season. Thirteen letters written in old French praised the combatants who fought in the tournament. These letters were likely read aloud during the event itself. Two participants identified by their heraldry included William Bardolf and John Clinton. Earlier visitors included Baldwin II, the Latin Emperor of Constantinople. He visited the court of Henry III on two separate occasions. Those visits occurred in 1238 and again in 1247. Baldwin sought assistance against the Byzantine successor state known as Nicaea.
Edward IV constructed the Great Hall during the 1470s. The future Henry VIII grew up within these walls. In 1499, he met Erasmus there while Thomas More introduced them. Erasmus described the occasion in a letter found in volume nine of his collected works. Tudor courts often used the palace for Christmas celebrations before Greenwich became more accessible. William Lambarde observed in 1573 that the river made Greenwich easier to reach. The deer remained plentiful in the Great Park throughout the early modern period. Roger Aston served as keeper of the little park at Eltham in 1610. He built four bridges for the convenience of James VI and I. By the 1630s, Sir Anthony van Dyck used a suite of rooms as a country retreat. The English Civil War stripped the parks of trees and deer. John Evelyn visited on the 22nd of April 1656 and saw both the palace and chapel in miserable ruins. Rich the rebel had destroyed the noble wood and park. Charles II bestowed the ruined estate upon John Shaw. It remained with Shaw's descendants until 1893.
Stephen Courtauld and his wife Virginia acquired a 99-year lease on the site in 1933. They commissioned Seely & Paget to restore the hall and create a modern home attached to it. Swedish designer Rolf Engströmer created the entrance hall with its glazed dome. Light floods into the space highlighting blackbean veneer and figurative marquetry. Italian designer Piero Malacrida de Saint-August worked on the dining room and drawing room. Virginia Courtauld designed her own circular bedroom and adjoining bathroom. Stephen was a younger brother of Samuel Courtauld, an industrialist who founded the Courtauld Institute of Art. His study featured a statuette version of The Sentry copied from a Manchester war memorial. Charles Sargeant Jagger sculpted that piece while serving in the Artists' Rifles during the First World War. The Courtaulds kept a pet lemur named Mah-Jongg who roamed the upper floor freely. A hatch connected his special room to the downstairs flower room. The family lived there until 1944 when they moved to Scotland.
During the earlier part of the Second World War, Stephen Courtauld served on the local Civil Defence Service. He stood watch on the Great Hall roof as a fire watcher in September 1940. German incendiary bombs badly damaged the historic structure at that time. The Courtauld family moved to Southern Rhodesia now known as Zimbabwe in 1944. They gave the palace to the Royal Army Educational Corps in March 1945. The corps then moved all its administration to Eltham Palace in 1948. Staff eventually relocated to Worthy Down Camp in Hampshire in 1992 following the formation of the Educational and Training Services Branch. The building suffered significant damage but retained its medieval core despite the bombing. The hammerbeam roof remains the third-largest of its type in England today. Fragments of walls from other buildings remain visible around the gardens. The 15th-century bridge still crosses the moat where it once did centuries ago.
English Heritage assumed management of the palace in 1995 after taking over responsibility for the great hall in 1984. Major repairs and restorations of the interiors and gardens were completed by 1999. The house is owned by the Crown Estate while English Heritage manages daily operations. Visitors can see the Art Deco interior described as a masterpiece of modern design. Keen gardeners, the Courtaulds had substantially modified and improved the grounds before leaving. The current house incorporates the original Great Hall built during the 1470s. Seely and Paget added a minstrel's gallery and timber screen to the hall during their restoration work. The design drew inspiration from Christopher Wren's work at Hampton Court Palace. Trinity College Cambridge also influenced the architectural choices made in the 1930s. Today the site stands as a unique blend of medieval architecture and modern design elements.
Many films and television programmes have been filmed at Eltham Palace since the turn of the millennium. High Heels and Low Lifes appeared on screens in 2001. The Gathering Storm followed in 2002 with Bright Young Things arriving in 2003. I Capture the Castle and Death on the Nile both used the location in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Revolver came out in 2005 while Brideshead Revisited aired in 2008. Parachute music video was shot there in 2010 alongside Secret Diary of a Call Girl in 2011. The Crown series featured scenes filmed at the palace in 2017. Stan & Ollie arrived in 2018 and Misbehaviour in 2020. The building is listed on English Heritage's list of most haunted places. A ghost of a former staff member is said to have given tours when the palace should have been empty. These productions continue to bring attention to this historic London landmark every year.
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Common questions
When did the Bishop of Durham give Eltham Palace to Edward II?
The Bishop of Durham named Anthony Bek gave a large house to Edward II in 1305. This property became a royal residence from the 14th century until the 16th century.
Who was the only Byzantine emperor to visit England at Eltham Palace?
Manuel II Palaiologos was the only Byzantine emperor to ever visit England and stayed at Eltham Palace from December 1400 through mid-February 1401. A joust was held in his honor that winter season with thirteen letters written in old French praising the combatants who fought in the tournament.
What year did Stephen Courtauld acquire the lease on Eltham Palace?
Stephen Courtauld and his wife Virginia acquired a 99-year lease on the site in 1933. They commissioned Seely & Paget to restore the hall and create a modern home attached to it while Swedish designer Rolf Engströmer created the entrance hall with its glazed dome.
How many years after English Heritage assumed management were major repairs completed?
English Heritage assumed management of the palace in 1995 after taking over responsibility for the great hall in 1984. Major repairs and restorations of the interiors and gardens were completed by 1999.
Which film featuring The Crown series filmed scenes at Eltham Palace in 2017?
The Crown series featured scenes filmed at the palace in 2017. Many films and television programmes have been filmed at Eltham Palace since the turn of the millennium including High Heels and Low Lifes which appeared on screens in 2001.