Until the late 19th century Eltham was a small village surrounded by farmland. Evidence from historic maps shows that the only dwellings in the area were isolated farmsteads and houses within the village itself, concentrated around the parish church – to the east and west along Eltham High Street and to the south at the beginning of Court Yard.
The only nearby structures within the area were the buildings and gardens associated with Eltham Palace and Eltham Lodge. These two sites were surrounded by large areas of agricultural land to the west and parkland and woodland to the east.
In the 1860s the railway arrived in Eltham. Eltham station (now Mottingham Station) was constructed in 1866 just to the south of the lake at the Tarn. The station was probably located so far south of the village centre due to the topography and to avoid crossing the parkland and woodland belonging to Eltham Lodge.
From the 1870s onwards large houses appeared along Court Road and the remaining southern section of Court Yard was infilled with inter and post-war dwellings. During the 1960s several suburban housing estates were built, two to the north of the Tarn open space, and one in the triangular area of land between Court Road and Court Yard.