to fall into decay, it is still a marvellous relic of medieval splendour, at the time when Perpendicular architecture was beautifying the land. The fine oak roof, with its hammer beams an

windows have been glazed, so that it is likely to remain for many centuries

COURT

afterwards presented by him to

f the palace for Willi

ust have trod Edward IV., its builder, Henry VIII. in his buoyant youth, Cardinal Wolsey in the early days of his greatness, and Queen [pg 25] Elizabeth when visiting the palace to meet her Scotti

ing Hall, E

tle High Street. There is an old-world dignity about the neighbourhood of the palace, locally known as King John's Palace, through some confusion with John of Eltham, the second son of Edward II., who [pg 26] was born there. King John himself never resided in the palace, for it was not a

blem of feeding the Court when resident in the palace must have been a serious one. Two

by a deep moat, with a drawbridge and portcullis. Camden claims that the original palace was bu

rly childhood in the palace, being visited by the learned Erasmus and Sir Thomas More. During the first years of his reign he also resided there frequently, until Greenwich rose in his royal favour. It was at Eltham that Wolsey received the office of Lord Chancellor, and also where he drew up, in 1526, the famous Eltham Ordinances f

uildings, with the exception of the great hall. When John Evelyn visited it in 1656, he found the whole place in ruins, but in 1828 the Go