Once a medieval royal palace, Eltham Palace in London’s east was transformed into a 1930s house which incorporates the medieval great hall.
But there are also some other remains of the former medieval palace on the site – including the footings of the palace’s west range incorporating royal apartments used in the Tudor era.
These included separate apartments for the king and queen as well as a gallery where the king could walk in inclement weather.
The ruins feature diamond-patterned brickwork (pictured), part of the west range which was built during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 1580s.
There are also the remains of a tower of yellow brick, which possibly dates from the 14th century when, prior to the site being a royal palace, it was rebuilt as a manor house by Anthony Bek, Bishop of Durham (it was Bek who gave the manor to the future Edward II in 1305).
These days the ruins lie within the home’s magnificent gardens, recreated to show how they might hav. Alongside the remains of the west range (and the medieval great hall which dates from the reign of King Edward IV and is largely intact), are the remains of a late 15th century bridge over a medieval moat, at the south end of which are the remains of a gatehouse.
There’s also an oak pedestrian bridge, supported by medieval brick and foundations which once formed part of the main southern entrance to the palace.
WHERE: Eltham Palace, Court Yard, Eltham, Greenwich (nearest train station is Mottingham); WHEN: 10am to 4pm Wednesday to Sunday; COST (advance online tickets): £14.50 adults/£8.60 children/£12.70 concessions/£37.60 family (can include a donation/English Heritage members free); WEBSITE: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/.