Things to see and do

Gardens at Eltham Palace

Explore over 19 acres of award-winning gardens and discover an intriguing mix of medieval features and fine examples of the Arts and Crafts movement.

From the beautiful Sunken Rose Garden to our peaceful Rock Garden, we've rounded up some of our favourite green spaces so you can make the most of every season.

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A treat for the senses

While living at Eltham Palace, the Courtaulds created a series of garden 'rooms' which fill the air with an array of fragrant scents and create a riot of cheerful colour.

Indulge in the beautiful aroma of roses in our intricate Sunken Rose Garden and Rose Quadrant. Admire our beautiful displays of historic rose varieties such as Rosa 'Grucc an Aachen', bred in Germany in 1909, and enjoy our splendid hybrid musk roses, including R. 'Felicia'.

Relax by the Moat

Emerge from our garden 'rooms' into the beautifully calm and light area of  the moat - the perfect spot to admire the stunning moat bridge. Keep your eyes peeled for graceful herons and our resident carp fish.

Step up to the top of our Rock Gardens on to the medieval embankment. Wander through mown grass pathways and our picturesque wildflower meadow to take in breathtaking views of our parkland trees.

A glorious green space

Located on the outskirts of London, our glorious gardens are a delightful retreat away from the busy city.

Perfect for a stroll with friends, a place for little ones to let off steam or a unique spot to enjoy a picnic or good book, our gardens have something for everyone to enjoy.

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Seasonal Highlights

Summer

See our gardens come alive in summer with riots of colour bursting throughout, from the rose garden to the wildflower meadow, attracting a beautiful variety of busy butterflies and bees.

 

A must see is our herbaceous border, designed by renowned garden designer Isabelle Van Groeningen. An impressive 100 metres long and containing 21 different varieties of peony, 20 different varieties of clematis and 18 varieties of oriental poppy, it really is a delight to behold.

Autumn

Our gardens provide a farewell to summer with an array of fiery autumn hues. Enjoy a walk through our crisp leaves and look out for the Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum tree) with its deep scarlet leaves. And take a moment to admire the runus maackii (Manchurian Cherry) with bark that glows orange, as it lines the drive to the car park.

Winter

Even in winter our visitors can enjoy a fragrant stroll through the gardens as they pass our Viburnumx burkwoodii shrub, grown for its richly scented flowers and look out for our kaleidoscope of colourful hellebores as they begin to flower from December onwards.

Spring

Bulbs are one of the many stars of the show at Eltham from late winter into spring. Visitors can also admire our heavy scented shrubs such as Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill' and the fragrant sweet box (Sarcococca confusa) as they fill the air with sweet scents, enticing you to come closer.