A year in London allows me to visit places not necessarily on every tourist agenda but this week I visited a location at the top of most “what to do in London” lists: Hampton Court . A definite must see!
Hampton Court is an easy 30 minute train ride from London’s Waterloo station (round trip fare cost less than £10). From the train station, you walk over the bridge and in about five minutes, you’re at the entrance to Hampton Court. You could take a boat on the Thames from Westminster Pier but it takes four hours so I would suggest that on a warm summer day and then take the train back to London.
There are beautiful gates at the entrance:
Originally, Hampton Court was built by Cardinal Wolsey, beginning in 1514, when he was Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor. His relationship with the king soured and , by 1525, Henry VIII took over Hampton Court as a Royal Residence. The entrance fee is £ 16.95. Once you’re in, there are free costumed guided tours of the State Rooms and there are free audio guides. We opted for the audio guides so we could go at our own pace.
Cardinal Wolsey’s Rooms and the Renaissance Picture Gallery are used to showcase 16th and early 17th century paintings from the Royal Collection. The Royal Chapel was built by the Cardinal and is still in use ~almost 500 years! It’s a gorgeous chapel (no photos allowed) with a vaulted ceiling. The Chapel has been changed a little throughout the years but it’s been an active church the entire time. There is a King James bible, commissioned in 1611 by King James I, still in use today.
The Clock in Clock Court:
A lot of Henry VIII’s palace was lost during the reign of King William III and Queen Mary II. They hired Christopher Wren to rebuild the palace. We walked through William III’s apartments, making sure we looked up in every room because the palace ceilings are beautiful:
The view from William III’s apartments to the gardens:
…and the King’s really private room.
King Henry VIII’s Great Hall:
Where the King and Queen sat when they ate in the Great Hall:
Decorated ceiling in the Great Hall:
Fountain Court:
Pretty Christmas Trees decorating the windows outside the Royal Chapel:
The Henry VIII kitchens were fascinating. It amazes me how much food was cooked/produced for the 600 + people in the court. The enormous fireplace in the kitchens:
One of the best parts of our visit was we had the place almost to ourselves. It was a rainy, cold day so close to Christmas and there were no school field trips. I can imagine how beautiful the gardens and courtyards must be during the the spring. We also passed on checking out the Maze and the tennis courts so I will have to make a return trip before we leave and will take Logan with me.
Displaced Beachbums 