Hampton Court

“the hosts and guests of history must learn

to seek to learn the lessons both must earn – Michael Shepherd”

I love palaces, as they seem to tell the story of a past I have only read and I get to imagine the scenes and situations and be grateful of the present and what I am going through. I have visited some of the palaces in London, and Hampton Court Palace Gardens is one of my favorite.

 

Hampton Court Palace was Henry VIII’s favorite royal palace. It is a real treat to visitors who love culture and history. But there is also so much for all in the form of Magic Garden for kids, a hedge maze, organic vegetable garden and lovely gardens. This is one of the well-preserved palaces along with St.James Palace. Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and Hampton Court Palace Festival are big attractions and people flock here during the season.

I set off around 9 am and reached Hampton Court Palace Gardens situated in the borough of Richmond upon the Thames around 10.30 am on a September morning. It was a little cloudy as you can see from the pictures.

A little history

The palace was built in the early 15th century, for Cardinal Thomas Colsey who was close with the then King, Henry VIII. Later the King seized and built additional wings. In the 1500s the Tudors used the palace and many events of history are recorded to have happened here. The period of the Stuarts started with King James and the palace was used frequently. In 1649, King Charles was executed and Commonwealth led by Oliver Cromwell gained control of the region. This government auctioned off most of the contents of all the palaces including Hampton Court Palace.

The palace was not used by the later monarchs and it was in 1689 that the new King and Queen started to restore the palace. King William III and Queen Mary II wanted the palace to be a close competition to Versailles and you can see a mix of Tudor and Baroque.

Currently, the palace is cared by a charity called Historic Royal Palaces.  The formal gardens are well maintained and the state apartments and kitchen are showcased for the visitors giving a feel of royal elegance and charm. It is not as lavish as one would expect on hearing of Henry VIII but the palace is lovely and the stories are lovelier.

Baroque Palace

King William III and Queen Mary II engaged Sir Christopher Wren to draw the plans to rebuild the palace. Though it is said that the plans were not similar to the Baroque style of Versailles, there are similarities as can be seen from the picture.

The repetitive patterns beneath a vast skyline and the same theme in Fountain Court are considered as similarities to Baroque style.

Fountain Court

There is the suite of staterooms for the King and Queen in the wings around Fountain Court. The staircases and landings are just beautiful.

King’s apartment faces Privy Garden and the Queen’s faces the Fountain Garden.

The Queen’s apartments, bedroom etc.. are open to view. There are some beautiful pieces of art here.

 

There are Italian Renaissance paintings, sculptures and arts and much more than I spent a long time admiring the pieces.

Anne Boleyn’s Gate

Henry VIII built the gatehouse and astronomical clock, which still functions.

 

The Great Hall

The Great Hall is where King Henry VIII held his meetings, this was the last great hall built by the monarchs.

The Chapel Royal 

A glimpse of the beauty of stained glass

Formal Gardens

Formal Gardens are beautiful and I can share umpteen pictures to share the grandeur and lushness. The queens over the years have taken interest in building the flora which was considered as a matter of prestige among the elite.

The Great Vine

The Great vine is housed in a greenhouse on the grounds which is around 250 years old and is said to be the largest grapevine. A single plant fills a glasshouse and the grapes are used to make wines. The grapes are available for sale during the season, unfortunately, I could not taste it.

Chocolate kitchen

As the name suggests this is where yummy desserts were made for the Kings. The room is restored with the cookware of the era including cups with silver frames, moulinets, and chocolate pots.

The write-ups say that King George I had a personal chocolate maker, Thomas Tosier. Imagine that:)

Kitchen Garden

There is a lush vegetable garden where there are pumpkins, spinach, beans, carrots and many different fruits. There is the small outlet where you can buy the crops when they are harvested. It is seasonal and there may not be all crops year round. This was my favorite thing about their approach to preservation.

 

Hedge Maze

There is a huge maze garden planted between 1689 and 1695 about 0.2 square kilometers.  It was fun to go through and reach multiple dead ends at different forks. I could not get a proper picture of the maze, but it was the fun time indeed.

Magic Garden is a kids’ playground/area next to the organic garden, which was crowded with kids and they seemed to be having a good time, where I did not visit. 

Getting to Hampton Park Palace Gardens.

It is 90 minute trip from London via the tube. There are many connections from Waterloo Station. If you are driving it is almost 40 minutes. The palace has different opening and closing times during various seasons. So it would be good to check that out before starting. The walks are very pleasant. You can make a day of the trip or see the palace and wind up in 2-3 hours time depending on how you want to spend your time.

I can relive the experience over and over every time I look at these pictures!!