Property for sale in Eltham Palace Road, Eltham, London, SE9

Our area guide for Eltham offers a brief overview of the town and its attractions, properties, schools, history, council tax and public transport links.

Overview

Eltham is a busy town in South East London bordered by Mottingham, Kidbrooke, New Eltham, Falconwood and Elmstead Woods. Eltham sits in the London Borough of Greenwich and it is covered by the SE9 and SE12 postcodes. Eltham was a civil parish of Kent until 1889 but now Eltham is one of the largest suburban developments in the Greenwich borough, with a population of almost 88,000 people. Famous people who were born or lived in Eltham include Jude Law, Lord Denis Healey, Boy George, Frankie Howerd and actor Bob Hope (see Attractions).

Shopping

Eltham has a main High Street offering the usual mix of high street names and independent shops. Debenhams is the High Street’s flagship store and you’ll also find an M&S, a Sainsbury’s, WH Smiths, Boots and Clarks, among others.

Attractions

For a relatively modest town, Eltham has a stunning set of attractions. The jewel in the crown is Eltham Palace and Gardens – a 1930s Art Deco masterpiece built by the wealthy Courtauld family next to the remains of the original Eltham Palace, childhood home of Henry VIII. The Bob Hope Theatre is another star attraction – renamed after actor Bob Hope who saved the theatre from closure. It was originally known as Eltham’s Little Theatre but it was renamed after the actor’s life-saving donation. There is an unusually high amount of open, green space in Eltham compared to other London boroughs and residents enjoy Oxleas woods, Avery Hill Park, Well Hall Pleasaunce and Sutcliffe Park. Also worth a visit is The Tarn - landscaped gardens and a lake with many original features from the 1930s, a picnic area and an 18th Century ice well (used for food storage by the kitchen staff at Eltham Palace).There’s also a new leisure centre just off of the High Street.

Food and Drink

Eltham isn’t known for a bustling nightlife but the High Street and surrounding areas are home to a a nice mix of traditional pubs and good restaurants. Highlights include Yak & Yeti, Bella Rose and The Tudor Barn.

History

Eltham is steeped in history, ranging from strong links to Henry VIII right up to WWII significance. The Tudor Barn is a fully restored Grade II* listed building built in the 16th century by the family of William Roper and links back to King Henry VIII and the Tudor Monarchy. It’s now a popular restaurant and public house, and it remains the only Tudor barn in London. The town was home to many mansions and manor houses of historic value, including Well Hall House and Avery Hill mansion. The original Eltham Palace is one of the few important medieval royal palaces in England to survive with substantial remains intact. Residents and associates include Edward II, Edward IV and Henry VIII.

Property market

The housing stock is eclectic to say the least and ranges from the grandest of Victorian and Edwardian villas to stunning new build flats adjacent to Sutcliffe Park. Character cottage homes can be found on the Progress Estate near Well Hall – originally built to house the workers from the Royal Arsenal in nearby Woolwich, while sought-after four and five-bedroom Corbett-built homes can be found on the Eltham Park Estate.

Council Tax

Eltham is in the London borough of Greenwich and these are the council tax valuation details for the year 2011/2012.

Education

There’s no shortage of good educational establishments in Eltham, including the esteemed

Eltham College and St. Olave’s Prep School. Other centers of education include:

• Gordon Primary School
• St. Mary’s Primary School
• Eltham CofE Primary School
• Green Acres Primary School
• Alderwood Primary School
• Christ Church Primary School
• Deansfield Primary School
• Middle Park Primary School
• Haimo Primary School
• Henwick Primary School
• Holy Family Primary School
• Kidbrooke Park Primary School
• St Thomas More Primary School
• Winfiled Primary School
• St. Thomas More RC Secondary School
• Green Specialist Sports College
• Crown Woods Secondary School
• Eltham Hill Technology College for Girls
• Eltham Foundation
• Greenwich University Avery Hill Campus

Hospitals

The nearest hospital to Eltham is Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich although there is an Urgent Medical Care Unit based at Queen Mary’s Hospital in nearby Sidcup.

Transport Links

Eltham is on the Bexleyheath mainline into London. Trains run frequently to Lewisham (for the DLR), London Bridge, Waterloo East, Cannon Street, Charing Cross and Victoria. Journeys from Eltham to London Bridge by train take less than 20 minutes. There are also stations at Mottingham, New Eltham, Falconwood and Elmstead Woods. Road users are connected to the A2 and the South Circular, with the A20 and the M25 all close by. Eltham is well serviced by bus routes, with connections to Bromley, Catford, Crystal Palace, Sidcup, Bexleyheath, North Greenwich (for the Jubilee Tube line and the O₂ Arena) and Trafalgar Square.