Tucked away just off of Eltham High Street you’ll find a scenic pleasure gardens with one of south east London’s oldest pubs.
Well Hall Pleasaunce dates to the 13th century, with 4.37 hectares of land and several landscaped gardens with architecture dating back as early as Tudor times.
The grounds house the Tudor Barn, which was initially built in 1525 and is what remains of the former manor that was built for Margaret More, and is known as the only existing Tudor Barn in London.
Despite being within a few minutes’ walk of Eltham High Street, once immersed within the grounds with its medieval moat and walled gardens, it’s easy to imagine being within the setting of a countryside estate.
Well Hall Pleasaunce was also recently awarded a Green Flag Award this year, marking 21 consecutive years that the gardens have won this prestigious award, which is handed out to green spaces, parks and gardens for their landscape, biodiversity and accessibility.
According to the Royal Borough of Greenwich, this park is considered one of the borough's “finest” and even won the silver gilt award at the London in Bloom Awards.
Within the gardens you’ll find The Tudor Barn, a 16th century structure that has been turned into a gastropub and events space, and was hailed as one of the best UK spots for weddings in the Hitched Wedding Awards.
Today if you visit the pub, which is still surrounded by a Mediaeval moat and bridge, you’ll see many of the building's original features, from the stained glass windows in the upstairs rooms to the wooden beams and fireplace downstairs.
From a fragrant rose garden to an Italian garden, the pleasaunce always has something within it during every season.
The park is also a locally known hotspot for wisteria, with its pagoda walkway usually abundant with the fragrant purple bloom towards mid-May.
Some of the park’s original features still exist, such as the moat surrounding the Tudor Barn, as well as the bridge running across it which dates back to the 16th century.
Visitors can also spot the wall of the former kitchen garden that used to be an integral part of the gardens when it was initially built.
The moat was also a popular punting spot for local author E. Nesbit, famous for writing The Railway Children, who formerly lived in Eltham and used the moat to punt in.
Alongside the park's rich history, it is also a key spot for nature enthusiasts, containing 230 trees with species ranging from Indian Horse Chestnut to Ginkgo trees, as well as several ponds and the moat, which are home to much local wildlife including a heron and a terrapin.
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