Eltham palace is a building of striking contrasts behind the elegant faccedilade is a stunning art deco mansion built around the great hall of the medieval eltham palaceeltham was initially a moated manor house but by the early 14th century it had become one of the largest and most frequented royal residences in the country by the 16th century however it had been eclipsed by greenwich and hampton court palaces and for 200 years after the civil wars it was used as a farmin the 1930s s