There is a palace in my backyard. A real one. Princes and princesses used to live there and play in its never-ending, breathtaking parkland. Those walls have seen grand balls, banquets, heard deadly secrets and witnessed amazing historic moments.
Eltham Palace, in various incarnations, has been around since 1300s and was Henry VIII’s childhood home. So why is that it took us nearly 4 years and my mother-in-law’s visit to finally stop by? Because it’s in our backyard.
After taking a 5 minute drive to get there (honestly, we should’ve walked), we spent the next 3 hours wandering the grounds, listening to fascinating stories of its past inhabitants, imagining what their lives could’ve been, picturing ourselves in their place. We were thrilled to have finally explored this gem. Having realised how truly beautiful and rare Eltham palace is yet how ignored it was by us made me think of what else are we simply not seeing because it’s in our backyard?
