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More Eltham Pages |
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Tucked away a little to the south of Eltham High Street and Church, Eltham Palace is one of London’s hidden secrets. Eltham is much older as a royal palace than Greenwich. Until Tudor times Eltham was the ‘senior’ palace in the area. Significant building started here as long ago as the 1290s when Bishop Bec of Durham built a moated manor house with half a dozen towers. The lower moat walls and an octagonal turret in the SW corner of the moated area survive. |
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Eltham Palace - Royal Eltham |
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Version C01 |
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14th Century Bridge over the moat |
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After the battle of Poitiers in 1356, the French King John Le Bon was held hostage at Eltham for four years. After Edward’s death, Richard II also lived at Eltham. The present bridges over the moat at front and rear of the palace were built during Richard II’s time and both survive known as the oldest bridges in London. |
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In 1305 Bec gave Eltham to the Prince of Wales, later Edward II, who settled it on his son Prince John who was born and baptised here. Prince John died of disease while campaigning in Scotland. Eltham passed to his brother king Edward III. John and Edward expanded the palace. Edward held jousts here and the first awards of the Order of the Garter, founded by Edward, were made at the Grand Joust here in 1347.. |
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Eltham Palace is now superbly managed by English Heritage |