Hampton Court Palace Reviews (Surrey, England)

Henrys House!

Oxford, United Kingdom

August 31, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo ===Getting There===I had always glanced at the atlas and seen Hampton Court within the M25 and assumed it would be difficult to get to. In fact it is remarkably easy to find, we followed the M25 around to the M3 and then followed the brown and ...Read more

The greatest vine in the UK

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

August 27, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo It was William III who was mainly responsible for the development of the gardens and "on his watch" they were dug up and re-landscaped and of course added to and progressed by later monarchs. On the King’s instructions they were filled with new ...Read more It was William III who was mainly responsible for the development of the gardens and "on his watch" they were dug up and re-landscaped and of course added to and progressed by later monarchs. On the King’s instructions they were filled with new plants and included a collection of exotic plants from around the world. Both William and Mary shared a passion for collecting and tending "exoticks" and plants were collected from the Americas, Africa and the Mediterranean and other collections were purchased to extend what had become a comprehensive collection. Indeed in the 1690’s there were over 2,000 different species in this Royal Collection at Hampton Court.

Over the decades the maintenance of the plants declined and as successive monarchs moved out of Hampton Court Palace so several of the plants were moved into the grounds of other Royal residences. The one collection that has survived since the 1690’s is the citrus fruit and this is still there to this day. As interest in the Palace increased so the "exotick" collection has begun to be revived and the royal book-keeping is so comprehensive that today’s gardeners are able to know exactly what was in the garden over three centuries ago. In the Privy Garden and Lower Orangery were able to check out some of the "new recruits" many of which are being grown in the traditional designed pots that would have graced the gardens back in the reign of William and Mary

Today the star of the garden just has to be The Great Vine which is over 250 years old and was planted when George III was on the throne in 1769. The well known Capability Brown was involved in the planting and nurturing of the vine which came from a cutting from a plant at Valentines Mansion in Essex. The vine is the oldest surviving in the country and is a massive 4 metres around the base and has a shoot that is over 36 metres long. It’s a beast of a plant.

The first viewing of the Vine was back in 1840 when Queen Victoria opened the gardens to the public. And athough she was happy for the public to view the gardens she insisted that the grapes were picked and sent to Windsor Palace or to her residence on the Isle of Wight, Osbourne House. It was King Edward VII who decided that the grapes no longer needed to be "by Royal Appointment" and he encouraged that they be sold to the public. That tradition has continued for the last hundred years and on average over 600 lbs of grapes are sold off during the first few weeks in September.

Although the vine grows on the site of the first greenhouse built at Hampton Court there have been five or six glasshouses on this site over the years. In the late 1960’s the existing greenhouse was getting a little dilapidated and so a new one was needed. However, the vine and the existing greenhouse had become "as one" so a new aluminium one was built over the old wooden one.

Now a notice over the lawn in front of the greenhouse cautions visitors not to walk over the grass for fear of damaging the routes of the vine which stretch well out from under the greenhouse.

There are a couple of private and secluded gardens with sunken lawns, neat flower beds and small ponds and in front of the house is the restored knot garden. This particular section had been laid out by Ernest Law in the 1920’s to fit with the classic Elizabethan design for such a garden – with neatly cropped box hedging providing the outline and thyme and lavender for the infill. Currently it looks like work in progress but I’m sure once completed it will fit beautifully in its context.

There are loads of little diversions in this great garden and we, am sure, didn’t do it justice, but we left having got the flavour of the place. I’m sure I’ll return again – perhaps when I go back to another of the RHS’s annual Hampton Court Flower shows.
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From journal Tennis, gardens and a bit of bowling

Inner courtyards and expansive formal gardens

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

August 27, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo Whilst we were visiting the house we’d checked out the palace’s inner court-yards - Fountain Court and Chapel Court garden. Chapel Court Garden felt very enclosed with a strangely modern touch to it. There were formal square beds that were encased ...Read more Whilst we were visiting the house we’d checked out the palace’s inner court-yards - Fountain Court and Chapel Court garden. Chapel Court Garden felt very enclosed with a strangely modern touch to it. There were formal square beds that were encased by what seemed to be a motorway crash barrier.

I was and still remain somewhat bewildered at why the management have enclosed the beds with this green and white flashed metal barrier and at the time I tried to obliterate the view of it from my consciousness. Throughout the garden, with its magnificent deep coloured hollyhocks were numerous heraldic figures sitting on green and white spikes, each in turn holding a separate and unique flag. The red dragon clasping the flag of St George; a bizarre looking polka dotted leopard standing precariously close to the dragon and an English terrier dog holding steadfastly onto the white rose. I’m sure these all have a Tudor meaning but it left me only with a sense of wondering and amusement.

As a contrast the Fountain Court was much more traditional and we enjoyed walking around the cloisters gaining a different perspective of the surrounding apartments of Mary II and William III. As a centre piece to the finely mowed lawn the court-yard’s fountain gushed and, just as we were about to leave, there was another sighting of Henry VIII. He does get around!

The gardens of the Palace are said to be mightily impressive and we’d left a walk around the gardens until the end of our tour of the house, hoping that the weather would be kind to us. We turned right out of the house and then immediately right again so that we were in the enclosed formal gardens of the Palace.

A row of orange trees, admittedly with only a few oranges hanging on to the branches, had been planted in front of the house and we climbed a few steps to walk around the upper promenade. From here we had a good view across the formal "sunken" gardens with their tightly clipped shrubs, maze like lawns and the occasional statue. Looking back towards the "William and Mary extension" we were struck by the rows of container plants standing like sentries along the walkway.

A "gushing fountain" was at the far end of the garden and it was from here that we were able to closely inspect the railings that marked the edge of this formal garden. Some of the gates were brightly painted in gold leaf and although we assumed this would have originally been the case a conservationist, working on the railings, advised us that it was unlikely that there would have been any gold on the railings. He went on to tell us that over the years they had been restored with odd bits of metal. So although they look real impressive it is possible that old tin cans and advertising hoardings have been used to repair rusted decorations. Notwithstanding that fact they still look pretty impressive and I like the gold "bling-work" along the boundary.

Whilst our wives went out to check out the central garden my friend and I headed off along the perimeter of the garden and admired the view of the mighty Thames before heading off towards a magnificent archway, covered in greenery, that would take us to some smaller and more intimate gardens and the oldest vine in England.
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From journal Tennis, gardens and a bit of bowling

Mary and William's apartments

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

August 26, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo Having left Henry’s apartments behind, we find ourselves at the top of the Queen’s Staircase. This was the ceremonial entrance to Queen Mary II’s State Apartments and was to be a mirror image of the King’s Apartment entrance to the south. However, ...Read more Having left Henry’s apartments behind, we find ourselves at the top of the Queen’s Staircase. This was the ceremonial entrance to Queen Mary II’s State Apartments and was to be a mirror image of the King’s Apartment entrance to the south. However, Mary died before the completion and so never saw it any other than "work in progress".

King William III and Queen Mary II had commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild Hampton Court as they both liked the setting of the Palace but thought the buildings needed some modernisation. Wren's originally planned to demolish the entire Tudor palace, other than the Great Hall, but thankfully the money was not available to do this so Wren amended his plans to rebuild the King's and Queen's main apartments on the south and east sides of the palace. This is where the old Tudor lodgings had been.

Work began in May 1689 and despite expenditure of £113K the rebuild was slow and not without problems.

The work stopped suddenly as William III lost interest in the project when his wife died in 1694. The new buildings that had promised much were left as an empty brick shell with none of the elaborate decoration that had come to be expected from a Royal Palace. It stayed in this dormant state until 1697 when William once again turned his thoughts back to rebuilding the palace. Indeed when, in 1698, Whitehall Palace burned down, William needed to "up his game" to finish the additions at Hampton Court. Not, however, with Wren, the original architect, but William Talman, Wren’s deputy. He’d offered a more competitive budget for the work!
So although the apartments are known as Mary II’s apartments the first occupant to reside in them was Caroline, wife of George II. It was for her, in 1735, that the walls and ceilings were painted by William Kent with dominant images of Neptune and Britannia.

We start off in the Queen’s Guard Chamber and although it’s fairly starkly furnished there is a magnificent fireplace with "jolly" carved characters either side. The ceiling is subtle and almost understated in its grandeur. We strolled, in turn, through the Queen’s Presence Chamber, Public ding room, Queen’s drawing room and the Queen’s gallery noting the excess of the elegant fireplaces and mouldings by Grinling Gibbons and Antonio Verrio’s colourfully painted ceilings.

There are some great views out of the windows on to Fountain Court (exactly "what it says on the tin" – a grassy courtyard with fountain in the middle and cloisters running around the perimeter) and some amazing period paintings hung inside. As you’d expect there are plenty of armorial crests on route and confirmation, in the Public Dining room, of the importance of the host with a huge balcony hanging over the royal’s seating area and an elaborate glass chandelier dangling from the ceiling.

Tapestries adorn the wall and the elaborate murals are a wonder to stand and appreciate. As a direct contrast we appreciated the simple bath that Queen Anne used to bathe in. It was shrouded in a linen cloth and we were told that the Queen immersed herself in the bath whilst wearing a simple white cotton tunic. What a sight for sore eyes.

There’s plenty to see as you stroll through the rooms in Mary and William’s apartments and I’m sure that we missed much as we walked the corridors.
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From journal Tennis, gardens and a bit of bowling

It's amazing?

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

August 26, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo One of the unique features of the Hampton Court Palace is the sports facilities that Henry built. It is known that he was a keen sportsman and of course the open grounds around the Palace were dedicated as Royal Hunting Grounds. Indeed many of the ...Read more One of the unique features of the Hampton Court Palace is the sports facilities that Henry built. It is known that he was a keen sportsman and of course the open grounds around the Palace were dedicated as Royal Hunting Grounds. Indeed many of the open spaces that still exist in London were linked to Henry’s other Palaces and continue to be green belt for all of us enjoy.

The intriguing sport, still played today in Hampton Court Palace is indoor tennis, indeed we were fortunate to be there whilst there was a game in progress. Tennis has been played at Hampton Court for almost as long as the Palace has existed & the belief is that the first of the tennis courts was built by Cardinal Wolsey between 1526 and 1529. Henry constructed two more in later years.

The Royal Tennis Court that we were standing alongside was last refurbished in 1628 and is the oldest surviving real tennis court in England and it has been regularly played on from the day it was built. Indeed in 2011 it had over 500 members and is one of only 50 "real tennis courts" in the world!

It looked to be a complicated game with every surface of the court & buildings being considered as playable on and although I could "get that" (it reminded me of a "fives" court that I used to play on when at senior school) the court markings seemed much more bewildering to me.

There are numerous lines across the court all referred to as "chases" and as far as I could make out service is only made from one end with the other one being the receivers end. The ball bounced off roofs, grills and walls and seemed to land randomly on the court area. Despite watching for several minutes I left bewildered not knowing the significance of "hazard chase the door", "hazard chase 1st gallery", "chase one yard", but realizing that this energetic game has stood the test of time. It has received regular royal patronage from Henry VIII through the Stuart Kings of the 17th century to George V in 1936. Indeed there is apparently a locker in the Hampton Court Palace changing room which still has the name of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert.

Back in 2009 Time Team undertook an archaeological dig in the grounds and they were able to excavate one of Henry’s Bowling Alleys. It turns out that it was over 60 metres long and ran from the side of the tennis court. Although there is no current sign of this alley it was interesting to think of this feature being underneath our feet as we walked the grounds. It was also worth speculating how the game was played because with wooden bowls 60 metres is a fair distance to roll the ball.

Later on we headed for the Hampton Court Palace maze. This hedge maze was planted out between 1689 and 1695 although it is believed that Cardinal Wolsey had an earlier maze close by. I read that the maze covers a third of an acre and contains half a mile of paths although we managed to find the centre disappointingly fast. Indeed having got to the centre it was even easier to find our way out. I guess, with hindsight, that we were a bit lucky because having exited the maze the "heavens opened" and the rain poured down.

We’d closely checked out the route before entering the maze, not that our memory helped us much, but we walked on instinct taking only one wrong turning leading to a dead end. Indeed our disappointment at the simplicity of the maze had been recorded much earlier by Jerome K. Jerome, who wrote: "We'll just go in here, so that you can say you've been, but it's very simple. It's absurd to call it a maze." Jerome does go on to describe the hazards of the maze but I reckon that it’s easier to find the correct, rather than the incorrect route to the centre.

However, Hampton Court maze is legendary so I am pleased to say that, paraphrasing Jerome, I have gone in just so that I can say I’ve been.
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From journal Tennis, gardens and a bit of bowling

Henry's Apartments

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

August 25, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo From the Great Hall you just follow the corridors along and this in turn will take you down the Queen’s staircase back to ground floor or if you chose to carry on at first floor level into Mary II’s apartments (but more of that later).Firstly we ...Read more From the Great Hall you just follow the corridors along and this in turn will take you down the Queen’s staircase back to ground floor or if you chose to carry on at first floor level into Mary II’s apartments (but more of that later).

Firstly we checked out the Great Watching Chamber which is one of the most authentic Tudor rooms left at Hampton Court. Originally this room, as built by Wolsey, was much smaller and Henry VIII extended it to create a large room where all the day to day business of his court could take place. Here the courtiers, guards and servants could keep an eye on the Great Chamber (the more public side of Henry’s Palace, and ensure that no unwanted visitors reached Henry’s Apartments.

Like the Great Hall, the Tudor wooden panelling, cornicing and ceilings are magnificent. The ceiling is "littered" with royal crests and fine gold leaf and delicate painting and as we took a look back into the great hall we realised how key it was that Henry sat where he did. From the Great Watching Chamber the guards would have been able to keep an eye on him without being too obvious to the rest of the people in the hall.

In the corner of the Watching Chamber is the garderobe. A garderobe was the name for a Medieval toilet deriving from the French word 'garder' meaning to keep and robe as in clothes. Interestingly the garderobe had a dual purpose as a place in which to store clothes (hence the modern word "wardrobe") as the pungent smells deterred moths! Inside this large toilet are the instructions, as issued by the King’s council, for the use. It specifies that no person shall "make water or cast annoyance within the precinct of the court whereby corruption may breed" and that you should be "all alone to let it go, otherwise you must disguise the sound by coughing".

Close to the Garderobe is the Horn Chamber. This is basically a passage and stairwell which led up from the kitchens and at the top of the stairs the servants would have waited until they were "given the nod" to deliver the food to the table. From here they could have gone directly into the Great Hall of the Great Watching Chamber. Now the hunting trophies, which were rediscovered during renovation work, have been hung in this space.

These are real horns whereas the ones mentioned in the Great Hall were intricate wood carvings.
From the Great Watching Chamber we head off towards the Council Chamber (which is set up "in the round" with a recorded debate being played if you fancy "entering into the spirit" of an ancient discussion with Henry his court and on the right, just off the Great Watching Chamber is the sparsely furnished servants dining area.

The long gallery is well adorned with original paintings and it’s from here that you can access the Royal Pew (see my separate review on the Royal Chapel). There’s an interesting view of a round house in a lower courtyard and before you exit the gallery check out the carved profile of Henry in the circular frame. It’s above the doors as you leave the gallery.

It’s real easy to imagine the Royal court wandering around this area with hurried discussions in the corridor and hushed respect as the king enters in to view. A real opportunity to sense history.
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From journal Henry's Hampton

The Great Hall and an appearance by Henry

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

August 25, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo We’d seen the wooden staircase leading up to the Great Hall when we were visiting the kitchens, but King Henry’s dining room is accessed up a staircase from Base Court. Whilst in Base Court we decided to check out the exhibition giving an insight in ...Read more We’d seen the wooden staircase leading up to the Great Hall when we were visiting the kitchens, but King Henry’s dining room is accessed up a staircase from Base Court. Whilst in Base Court we decided to check out the exhibition giving an insight in to the young Henry. This upstairs exhibition took us through the early years of the fledgling King and tracked the relationship and influence of Cardinal Wolsey, who became so influential because of his special relationship with King Henry. Of course it was this very relationship that was also his downfall!!

There’s a lot of reading in this section but also some great architecture including superbly decorated and carved ceilings and original glass windows giving a spooky almost comically distorted vision of the outside world. There was a real interesting closet (or small room) where the King and his immediate confidents and friends could escape from the crowds and the one in this block was decorated with ornate "linenfold" oak panelling. This was intended to replicate the texture of tapestries and cloth wall hangings that were present elsewhere in the Palace complex. There is plenty of original art work to check out and having exited by the back stairs we were in for a real and unexpected treat.

The stair case is wide and airy and the wrought iron work ensures that even modern day health and safety is complied with, but having reached the bottom there’s an amazing wall and ceiling mural to feast our eyes upon. A bright classic scene devours the space and caused us to stand, stare and admire the intricate art work. It’s fit for a King!

Crossing Clock Court we admire the modern addition in the centre of a sleeping man with his "lady friend" laying at the base of the ornate water fountain and then admire the fantastic iconic clock face of Hampton Court Palace.

Then we head off to the gate house where we climb the straight staircase took us directly to a big old wooden door leading into the grand hall and it wasn’t too difficult to imagine Henry’s guests taking this very route. The grand hall is most impressive although I later found out by way of a television programme on Hampton Court Palace that it would once have been a much more flamboyant room with every surface being brightly painted with the royal colours of the day.

There’s an impressive "hammer beamed" style ceiling and although these were traditionally constructed to support large vaulted ceilings this one was constructed to be aesthetically pleasing. The beams were intricately carved with heraldic symbols finished off with bright paint and gilded surfaces to shine brightly and ostentatiously at all who visited the Palace. The wood used for the ceiling in the Great Hall is said to have naturally kept cobwebs away!

Around the walls are a set of 10 individual tapestries entitled "The Story of Abraham." These huge tapestries were personally commissioned by Henry VIII and completed in 1544. It would seem that they were only hung for special state occasions so they would be stored away for much of the time. Perhaps that’s why they’re in such great condition. Certainly the suggestion that they were created especially for the Great Hall must be true as it’s hard to think that they could hang anywhere else in the palace as a complete set.

The stained glass is not original as it was added in the 1840's as part of a Victorian renovation. Didn’t the Victorians just love their stained glass? The windows were designed by Thomas Willement and it portrays the ancestry of Henry VIII's wives, Henry VIII and Wolsey. I have to say I don’t think it looks out of place.

Above the tapestries and below the windows are numerous antlers – confirmation of the "great hunting" prowess of Henry and his court, and at the entrance end of the hall the remnants of the initials of Henry and his first wife. Evidence, that despite efforts, even Henry could not eradicate all signs of his first betrothal.

Before leaving the Hall we loitered a while next to the "top table", where Henry and his wife would have sat looking towards all of their guests. What a great sight that must have been. Just as we were about to leave Henry made an entrance and was immediately surrounded by excited school children!
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From journal Henry's Hampton

The Chapel Royal

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

August 24, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The Chapel Royal is the only place in the Palace that you’re not allowed to take photographs and I guess that’s because it’s still an active place of worship.Henry VIII started the chapel project in 1535 and the ceiling is said to be the finest ...Read more The Chapel Royal is the only place in the Palace that you’re not allowed to take photographs and I guess that’s because it’s still an active place of worship.

Henry VIII started the chapel project in 1535 and the ceiling is said to be the finest example of a Tudor pendant-vaulting ceiling. It was carved out of Oak from the nearby forest in Windsor and painted in a dark blue (known as "Byse" and meticulously decorated with gold leaf. Of course it has been restored but this was undertaken in the mid 1800’s under the close instructions of Augustus Pugin. Check out the detail on the ceiling with the royal motto being repeated 32 times allegedly an expression of Henry’s belief in the Tudor dynasty to govern.

From looking up we know focussed our attention to the floor, which is early 1700’s in design and the highly recognisable stars are modelled on the Jewish symbol of the star of David and represent the incarnation of God in Christ.

Unfortunately the appearance around the high altar has changed since Tudor times as much of it was destroyed during the Civil War. However, the Victorian stained glass windows are still impressive and with the eye of the Victorians to preserve and improve they have a strong link with the originals. However, the altar screen or Reredos as they are properly known, is as Christopher Wren intended. The screen dates back to the early 1700’s and Wren had submitted two designs to Queen Anne. She selected an oval design which was carved in Oak by Grinling Gibbons. He’s a famous wood carver and his work turns up in many stately homes throughout the country.

At the back of the Chapel there’s an original copy of the Bible and book and common prayer. It dates back to 1611!

There are some interesting war memorials on the wall and these honour men who died in both first and second world wars. To be "listed here" they were worshippers in the Chapel, guarded the palace, worked or lived here, or had been granted "Royal permission" to live in the Palace as "Grace and Favour Residents".
The Church Organ dates back to 1711 and was built for Queen Anne. It is assumed that George Frederic Handel would have played this very organ as he was a favourite of the Queen and had been granted a royal pension and become a resident in England around the date of the commissioning of the Organ.

It was in the Chapel that Henry VIII first heard allegations of Catherine Howard’s indiscretions and legend has it that she ran down the Haunted Gallery to find Henry in the Royal Pew and presumably tried to make "things right".

The Royal Pew can be seen from the Royal Chapel, but these are accessed from royal apartments. From up here the King and Queen could hear the service whilst members of their court sat in the main body of the Chapel. There’s a great view of the Chapel from up in the Royal pew and you’ll get a far better idea of the intricate work that went into the ceiling from upstairs. We made certain that we went into this part of the Chapel and I’d strongly recommend that you do too.
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From journal Henry's Hampton

The largest Tudor Kitchen in England

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

July 26, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo Having been kitted up with our audio guide we decided to start with the tour of Henry’s Kitchens. There are several audio tours to select from and as most will lead you back to Base Court the order that you take them is entirely your choice. Base ...Read more Having been kitted up with our audio guide we decided to start with the tour of Henry’s Kitchens. There are several audio tours to select from and as most will lead you back to Base Court the order that you take them is entirely your choice. Base Court is one of the best surviving parts of Wolsey’s Palace and this was the huge outer courtyard that he built to house his guests. The courtyard was originally cobbled and the gatehouse was a little higher, but the 40 guest suites each with an outer reception room, an inner room and ensuite facilities. Indeed look to the roof tops and you’ll fully appreciate that Wolsey wanted his guests to be comfortable. There are countless chimneys and chimneys gave out a strong message to visitors and passer-bys that their host would ensure that all their creature comforts would be looked after. They certainly wouldn’t be cold whilst visiting the Palace!

But I digress - the entry to the kitchens is tucked in the corner nearest the main entrance so we re-traced our footsteps to head off to the Master Carpenter’s Courtyard. This is where all the deliveries were made to the Palace. The carts would have trundled through Seymour gate and then an "eagle eyed" employee, looking from a room over the archway, would have checked the items as they were unloaded off the cart. We heard that Henry’s court was particularly keen on inventories and at every step of the process there were administrators who checked goods in and out. Well, we guessed that was fairly critical as the kitchens were feeding at least 600 people twice a day so it was important to know what food you had in the pantries and what you needed to be supplied with. These were the largest kitchens of Tudor England and we were soon to find out how vast they really were.

We followed the audio instructions through into a small building that took us into a mocked up preparation area for food and then back along a narrow outdoor passage way, Fish Court. All the rooms off here were food storage areas and the guide told us that the narrowness of the passage way ensured that the temperature was fairly consistent and never excessive. Everything had been carefully designed for maximum benefit to its purpose.

Next into the Tudor kitchens which have seen over 230 of royal cooking and entertainment and we were amazed to hear that the annual provision of meat for the Palace was "1,240 oxen, 8,200 sheep, 2,330 deer, 760 calves, 1,870 pigs and 53 wild boar" and over 600,000 gallons of beer.

The next doorway takes us into the original Palace Kitchens with its surprisingly high oak beamed ceilings. The term "surprisingly high" does not really describe the height in here, but suffice to say it is a barn of a place, with huge fireplaces and stone ovens around the walls. The main "spit fire" has an open fire blazing away and space for eight animals to be spit roasted at any time. The guide pointed out that although we normally attribute the job of turning the spit to young boys, this would have been totally impracticable as these heavy carcasses would have needed the strength of a fully grown man to turn.

There are large serving hatches at the end leading to a large indoor courtyard that would have been a bustle of activity as servants took the food up to the broad staircase of the grandeur of the Great Hall. Nothing was left to chance as administrators checked what went out of the kitchen and then the food was whisked away to the diners. The process from kitchen to dining room was so well organised that it was still hot when it reached the table.

The whole experience of the kitchen has been enhanced by the Palace’s eye for detail and all the cooking utensils and pewter ware has been faithfully reproduced to exactly match the originals.
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From journal Henry's Hampton

Hampton Court Palace - an overview

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

July 24, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo We’d purchased our tickets in advance on the internet and as 60+’s we qualified for a discount, so when we reached the Palace we were able to walk straight in without having to queue for tickets. As the tickets are valid for a single entry up to ...Read more We’d purchased our tickets in advance on the internet and as 60+’s we qualified for a discount, so when we reached the Palace we were able to walk straight in without having to queue for tickets. As the tickets are valid for a single entry up to seven days from the day that you indicate, when booking, that you intend to visit, there is no pressure if you want to change the day you go to the Palace. I reckon that’s a neat feature of the on line booking.

I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that you can take photographs in The Palace (other than the Chapel Royal) and that an audio guide is included in the price of the admission ticket. This accompanies a map of the palace and the key places and although not everywhere is on the audio guide you can still get in to those rooms. Hampton Court is impressive as soon as it comes into sight and as our tour round the place continued I realised how truly impressive it is as a building

Hampton Court Palace is a fantastic building full of history and best known as the stomping ground of Henry VIII. Indeed if you happen to see the King on your travels you are asked to pay due respect and stand reverently in silence until the Royal presence has passed. Needless to say we saw Henry VIII twice during our visit and have the photos to prove it!

The history of building on this site is interesting as the manor of Hampton was first acquired by the Knights Hospitallers of St John Jerusalem in 1236 and they used it as an agricultural centre for storing their produce with a barn and a stone built "estate office".

In the 1300’s it had become a bit of a staging post, often frequented by royality, and the Knights Hospitallers had built a high standard "guest house" on the land and by the late 1400’s the Knights Hospitallers had become landlords and they were leasing the property to a royal courtier, Giles Daubeney. Giles was Lord Chamberlain to King Henry VII and the house in Hampton was built to a standard befitting his status and was close enough "to the action". His choice was sound as he was soon hosting numerous visits from Henry VII.

Next on the scene was Thomas Wolsey who was well favoured with the new King Henry VIII and was to be his chief minister for over a decade. Wolsey soon set about converting the grand mansion into a palace fit for his status as Cardinal and Lord Cancellor. He added private rooms for himself and three royal suites for King Henry VIII, Queen Katherine of Aragon and Princess Mary. The Palace had become Wolsey’s "statement to the world", underlining his importance and his power. He entertained lavishly and hosted state diplomatic visits. Wolsey made friends but also a lot of enemies and when in 1528 he failed to secure the King’s divorce from Katherine, Henry was quick to show his displeasure and, in 1529, Wolsey was stripped of his government office and his property.

Henry recognised the importance of Hampton Court and from 1530 to 1540 he spent a great deal of time in creating new plans for his Palace. He was certainly "hands-on" in the process and Hampton Court Palace was soon recognised as one of the most sophisticated, elaborate and modern buildings in England. It had a hunting park of over 1,000 acres, formal garden, tennis courts, bowling alleys an awe inspiring Great Hall (or dining room), vast kitchens and a "great house of easement" (a multiple toilet).

As Henry remarried so he built on new apartments to accommodate them and at the same time he’d upgrade his own apartments.

He was known for his extravagant feasts and one we read about was back in 1546 when, for six days, he hosted the French ambassador, his entourage of two hundred and the 1,300 members of his own court. That must have been some event and the camp of gold and velvet tents surrounded the palace was probably the forerunner of Glastonbury!
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From journal Henry's Hampton

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Hampton Court Palace - an overview

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Hampton Court Palace

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Henrys House!

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Mary and William's apartments

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Henry's Apartments

The Great Hall and an appearance by Henry

The Chapel Royal

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Hampton Court Palace - an overview

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