Our Role in Eltham
The Eltham Society was founded in 1965 by a group of local people who wished to ensure that Eltham retained its distinctiveness by:

Encouraging high standards of architecture and town planning in Eltham.

Stimulating public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of the area.

Encouraging the preservation, development and improvement of areas of public amenity and historic interest.

Pursuing these aims with exhibitions, lectures, publications, meetings and promoting schemes of a charitable nature..

Membership rapidly grew and the Society has flourished. It passed its 50th Birthday in 2015 and continues to promote its original raison d'etre through the work of its committees and Executive Council.

Amenity Committee

The Amenity Committee deals with planning applications, offering sound observations at borough planning meetings and is, at times, consulted by Greenwich borough, and a very respected group. The committee also comments on changes in transport through the South Greenwich Forum, and sends representatives to the Eltham Town Centre Partnership and various Parks Friends Groups and other ad hoc meetings.

The society's motto, "Preserving the past, Conserving the present, and Protecting the future" aptly describes the work of the amenity committee as all its deliberations have some impact on the past, the present and the future of Eltham.

One of the major areas of work done by the Amenity Committee is to seek out new projects worthy of the Eltham Society Award. The Eltham Society initiated Heritage Awards in 1975, as our contribution to the European Heritage Year. In some years there has been more than one award while in others there have been none.

The aim of the award is to recognise improvement in standards of design, layout and amenity of buildings, land and public areas within Eltham. Both major and small developments are equally eligible for the award. The main criteria for assessing whether a project is worthy are:

Improvements to amenities for the local community.

The design of access for people with disabilities.

Imaginative designs that make a contribution to quality and appearance of the built and/or natural environment of Eltham.

Enhancement of visual amenity.

Schemes that demonstrate that the principles of sustainable design and construction have been adopted - re-use of land and existing buildings; the recycling of construction materials; maintenance; and running costs and energy consumption.

Good landscape treatment of a site or area, including landscape treatment of buildings, as well as land reclamation schemes, parks and open spaces.

Nominations for an award are made in the year following construction, opening, first use. The award recognises achievements made in the Eltham area, which in recent years have included:

The Orangery Restoration and extension

The Woodcroft Club

The C of E School in Roper Street new classrooms and playground

The Bob Hope Theatre new entrance hall and facilities

A full list can be seen by clicking on the âAwardsâ button at the top of the page

Social Committee

The Social Committee organises events for members throughout the year. These include walks and visits to notable places of interest. The current programme can be seen by clicking on the "Diary of Events" button at the top of the page.

Recent excursions have included:

A visit to Docklands

A visit to Chislehurst Caves

Visit to Tower Bridge and its exhibition

Tour to Severndroog Castle

A guided tour of St Albans Cathedral

Tour of Kingâs Cross development

Visit to the Postal Museum

Recent walks have included

Around Eltham Parish Church

Along the Cray Valley from Footscray to Hall Place

Along the Old Kent Road

Publications Committee

Apart from producing the quarterly Newsletter, the Publications Committee commissions, edits and publishes booklets. Recent booklets were Trams in Eltham by John Kennett and Severndroog Castle by Sally Simmons and Margaret Taylor. The Society has just published Sitting Pretty in Eltham, the stories behind the names on High Street benches that were the subject of our Eltham in Pictures exhibition in February 2018. All our publications in print can found by clicking on the "Publications" button at the top of the page.

Lecture Programme

Monthly illustrated lectures can be found by clicking on the "Diary of Events" button at the top of the page.

Some recent talks covered Eltham topics such as:

The Courtaulds at Eltham Palace

Eltham in the Silver Jubilee Year

Falconwood

Whilst others are of broader interest:

Thames Mudlarking

A dead man in Deptford - the murder of Christopher Marlowe

Rembrandt - the man and his art

Professional Toastmaster