The following notes relate to the royal properties in the London Borough of Greenwich. After so many centuries have gone by, it is interesting to note that the land of Greenwich Park and that of Eltham Palace has changed little and, of course, is there for Londoners to enjoy, for their recreation. That was the original purpose of the land in the first place. Today, the public are able to enjoy what was once only for use by royalty.

Greenwich Park
    60 - The Romans are known to have lived on land on the high ground of the park. It was not far from the line of Watling Street.
   500 - There are 25 barrows or small tumuli in the park, extend over an area of about one acre (0.4 hectare) and have in many cases been destroyed by tree planting. They are believed to be part
   of a Saxon burial ground.
  1433 - A licence was granted to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, by Henry VI to enclose and empark 200 acres (81 hectares) of land. Croom's Hill was the western boundary.
  1515 - The park was enstocked with deer.
  1619 - The high brick wall, surrounding so much of the park, was constructed 1619-25 for James I.
  1670 - The park was formally laid out for Charles II by Andre Le Notre, who had been specially brought over from France.
  1694 - The park was disjoined from the Royal Naval Hospital grounds.
  Now - The park is still laid out in much the same way as Le Notre's plan and still has deer in part of it.

Greenwich Palace
  1447 - On the land of the manor of East Greenwich was a manor house, built by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. He, died there 1447 and the house and lands passed to the Crown. From this date the house was lived in by Margaret of Anjou, consort of Henry VI, who called it 'Plaisance' or 'Placentia'.
  1461 - Placentia passed to Edward IV who, during his reign of 22 years, greatly enlarged and improved the buildings such that they became called a 'Palace'.
  1491 - Henry VII and Elizabeth of York liked the palace and their son, later Henry VIII, was born there.
  1509 - Henry VIII became king and seven weeks later was married at the palace to Catherine of Aragon, his first wife.
  1516 - Mary, the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, was born at the palace.
  1533 - Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, was born at the palace.
  1540 - Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves at the palace. She was his fourth wife, but they were only married six months.
  1540 - Henry VIII married Catherine Howard, his fifth wife, at the palace.
  1553 - Edward VI died at the palace.
  1613 - James I gave the palace to his queen, Anne of Denmark. She had the Queen's House constructed to the S of the palace.
  1664 - The use of the palace declined and Charles II had the old buildings demolished to make way for a new palace. It was never to be lived in by royalty again.

Queen's House, Greenwich
  1616 - The house was begun by Inigo Jones for James I, for his queen, Anne of Denmark. It was designed in the shape of a letter 'H', with the bridge in the 'H' crossing over the Deptford to Woolwich Road, at first floor level. The house was built to keep Anne of Denmark out of the King's way since they did not get on together.
  1619 - Queen Anne of Denmark died 1619 and James I let the building stop.
  1629 - Charles I had the house completed 1629-39 for his wife, Henrietta Maria.
  1662 - The house was extended for Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I, by adding bridges at the E and W ends over the road, joining the ends of the original 'H' shape. The exterior ground plan was then a square.
  1690 - The house became the residence of the Ranger of Greenwich Park and the Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital.
  1806 - The house was used as a school, called the Royal Naval Asylum.
  Now - The house is open to the public as part of the National Maritime Museum.

Royal Naval Hospital
  1662 - The old building, known as Greenwich Palace, was demolished and a new palace was begun for Charles II. The first part to be constructed was the King Charles Quarter, by the river on the W side, not fully completed until 1712.
  1664 - The Queen Anne Quarter, on the E side beside the river was begun and completed 1740.
  1669 - Charles II was deposed and William III and Mary II, as new joint sovereigns, decided that they preferred Hampton Court to Greenwich.
  1689 - The building continued as almshouses, sometimes called Greenwich Hospital for seamen, on the same basis as the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, for soldiers.
  1698 - King William Block, housing the Painted Hall, was built
   1698-1703 - to designs by Christopher Wren.
  1699 - Queen Mary Quarter, housing the Chapel, was begun 1699 but took until 1750 to complete.
  1705 - Opened as "a hospital for disabled and aged naval pensioners".
  1708 - The interior of the Painted Hall, inside part of the King William Block, was undertaken by James Thornhill who took 19 years, from 1708-27, to paint the walls and ceiling, a fine example of Baroque work.
  1746 - Giovanni Canaletto came to England for ten years. His famous painting of the Hospital, using camera obscura techniques, was made during his stay.
  1763 - The Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital was built as a hospital wing of the almshouses.
  1779 - Fire destroyed Wren's Chapel. It was rebuilt to a new design by James Stuart.
  1815 - It housed 2,710 men, the peak of its occupation as almshouses.
  1873 - The Hospital moved to Portsmouth and the buildings were used as the Royal Naval College.

Eltham Palace
  1270 - Henry III kept Christmas 1270 at the palace, which appears to be the first reference to a royal dwelling there. The manor house of Eltham became Eltham Palace. 
  1296 - About 1296 Anthony Bec, Bishop of Durham, who acquired the manor, dug the moat, built fortifications and other buildings on the site.
  1316 - Edward II was often at the palace. Prince John, referred to as 'John of Eltham', second son of Edward II and his queen, Isabella, was born 1316 at the palace.
  1390 - Geoffrey Chaucer was Clerk of the Works to Eltham Palace, during the reign of Richard II, and in 1390 supervised the building of the bridge over the moat.
  1475 - The palace was probably at its greatest splendour in the days of Edward IV who expended large sums on repairs.
  1580 - Date unknown. The Lord Chancellor's House was built in the C16. It is now Nos 34-38.
  1945 - From 1945 some of the buildings became used for the Headquarters of the Royal Army Education Corps.
  Now - The palace lies off Tilt Yard Approach which is in turn off Court Road, Eltham. It is run by English Heritage and open to the public.

Great Hall, Eltham Palace
  1475 - Eltham Palace was probably at its greatest splendour in the days of Edward IV who expended large sums on repairs and had the Great Hall begun 1475 and the roof under construction by 1479. It was then the third largest hammer beam roof in England after those at Westminster and Hampton Court. The hall is about 100 feet (30 m) by 36 feet (11 m).
  1633 - John Shaw, who lived at the palace, tiled the roof of the Great Hall and used it as a barn.
  Now - It is run by English Heritage and open to the public.

-ENDS-