Eltham Palace

Given as a gift in 1305 to Edward II, it became a royal nursery for the children of Henry VII. The palace fell into decline in the 16th century until its fortunes were revived in the 1930s by the Courtaulds who restored the surviving great hall to create a modern art deco palace.

The palace and grounds are now open to the public.

Find out more about Eltham Palace (English Heritage website)

Greenwich Palace

The birth place of Henry VIII, Greenwich Palace was once a grand building at the centre of Tudor life. The majority of the buildings have been demolished over the centuries so that now only the foundations exit, buried beneath the buildings of the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC).

Find out more about Greenwich Palace (ORNC website)

Montague House

Montague House on the edge of Greenwich Park, was the residence of Queen Caroline, the estranged wife of King George IV. She left England for Europe in 1814 and Montague House was demolished a year later leaving only the outline of her bath.

Find out more about the bath remains (Royal Parks website)

Queen's House

Inigo Jones designed the first fully Classical building in England, commissioned by Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I. It was used by members of the Royal family until the 19th century when it was turned into the Royal Naval Asylum.

The National Maritime Museum took it over in 1934 and is now open to the public.

Find out more about the Queen's House (Royal Museum's Greenwich website)

Ranger's House

Ranger's House, set into the wall of the south-west side of Greenwich Park, is a red-brick Georgian mansion that was built around 1710. In 1813, Ranger's House was bought by the Crown and it became the official residence of the Rangers of Greenwich Park.

The building now houses the Wernher Collection of art and is open to the public.

Find out more about the Ranger's House (English Heritage website)

Shrewsbury House

Charles, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, had this fine house built on Shooters Hill in 1789. Ten years later he leased it to the Crown as a residence for the three year old Princess Charlotte, the only child of George IV and Princess Caroline of Brunswick.

The original Shrewsbury House was demolished in 1923, and its successor is now a community centre.