Visit to Eltham Palace - October 2021

We were really lucky to have a Blue Badge Guide to take us around the House. Built in the 1930's by the Courtaulds,Eltham Palace is decorated in the Art Deco style and is very glamourous. The house has all mod cons of the day, including all the clocks, on the ground floor at least, being wired to tell the exact time at the same time and hidden vacuum cleaner points in every room, i.e. the hose is attached to a point in the wall and the dust is transferred to a central point in the basement.

Over the side of the entrance to the house

Looking up in the entrance - these are all little glass windows. If you look carefully you can see parts of the roof.

Above the entrance hall - I think these are also small glass windows.

Marquetry frieze on the wall on either side of the entrance.

Cocktails ready for guests as they arrive - sadly not for us though

In one corner of the entrance hall, there was a concealed cubby hole housing this telephone for the use of guests. Do you remember pressing A when the call connected, or B to get your money back if it was not answered?

Looking back towards the entrance - you can just about make out the marquetry frieze on either side of the doorway. The curved sofas looked very glamourous. I am guessing where one sat for cocktails before entering the dining room which is just to the side. or waited for your chauffeur to arrive with the Rolls Royce.

Interesting round window in the passageway to the drawing room.

This sofa was built-in. It looked very comfy.

The fireplace surround was a map of London in leather. Very clever

In one corner of the map was a clock - remember I said all the clocks were all connected and told the exact time.

This was the secretary's room and was situated in a room behind the built-in sofa

The maps had recently been discovered on the wall behind the secretary's desk

The study

Chinese lacquered doors in the Dining Room

The pink of the padded dining chairs was said to have been chosen as the colour compliments
a lady's complexion

Down to the basement

At the bottom of the stairs is the vacuum cleaner dust collection container. I hope no one ever got something stuck in the pipe - it's bad enough clearing a modern vacuum, let alone what must have been miles of pipe.

This is the Dark Room - seethe prints hung up to dry off.

Box cameras - very modern at the time

The basement rooms where the family went during an air raid.

Upstairs to the bedrooms

Painting of Stephen & Virginia Courtauld - note the Lemur on Virginia's lap. It was a present from Stephen on their wedding day and lived a very comfortable life in Eltham Palace.