Hampton Court Palace, on the banks of the Thames south-west of London, is one of the most fascinating royal palaces in England. Two worlds live side by side in one building: the red-brick Tudor palace of Henry VIII, with its great hall and kitchens, and the Baroque palace built by Christopher Wren for William III and Mary II. All around lie magnificent gardens, with the most famous hedge maze in the world and a vine planted in the 18th century.
History
In 1514 Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII's all-powerful minister, leased the estate and turned it into a palace fit for a prince. Its magnificence, however, ended up annoying the king: having fallen from favour for failing to obtain from the Pope the annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Wolsey had to hand Hampton Court over to the king around 1529. Henry enlarged it further and spent many key moments of his life here: his son Edward was born here, his third wife Jane Seymour died here and his fifth, Catherine Howard, was arrested here. For the king's story see Henry VIII.
At the end of the 17th century William III and Mary II commissioned Christopher Wren to rebuild the palace. The original plan was to demolish almost all of the Tudor building, but for lack of funds and because of the queen's death in 1694 only the state apartments were rebuilt, next to the older parts. From the 18th century the monarchs stopped living here, and in 1838 Queen Victoria opened the palace to the public.
- 1514Cardinal Wolsey takes the estate and starts building
- c. 1529The palace passes to Henry VIII
- 1540The astronomical clock is installed
- 1689Christopher Wren begins the Baroque palace
- c. 1700The maze is planted
- 1838Queen Victoria opens the palace to the public
What to see
The Tudor palace
Henry VIII's Great Hall, with its carved hammerbeam roof and tapestries, was where hundreds of courtiers dined. Above the gateway of one of the courtyards is the astronomical clock of 1540, which shows the hours, the phases of the moon and the signs of the zodiac. The Tudor kitchens, the largest surviving from the period, display gigantic hearths, larders and cellars. In the Chapel Royal you can admire a splendid blue and gold ceiling. The Haunted Gallery owes its name to the legend of Catherine Howard's ghost.
The Baroque palace
William III's apartments are an extraordinary example of English Baroque, with painted staircases, throne rooms, carvings by Grinling Gibbons and tapestries. The Lower Orangery displays Andrea Mantegna's Triumphs of Caesar, nine large canvases from the Royal Collection.
The gardens
The gardens cover about 24 hectares. The maze, planted around 1700, is the oldest surviving hedge maze in Britain. The Great Vine, planted in 1768, is one of the oldest vines in the world and still bears grapes. There is also William III's Privy Garden, the Magic Garden for children and the lawns along the Thames. Every summer the Royal Horticultural Society holds a major flower show here.
Practical information
The palace is open all year round, with shorter hours in winter; tickets are cheaper online. It is run by Historic Royal Palaces, which often organises visits with costumed interpreters. Opening times and prices are on the official website.
Getting there
- By train: from Waterloo station to Hampton Court in about 35 minutes; the station is a short walk from the palace.
- By boat: in summer boats travel up the Thames from Westminster in a few hours.
- By air: Heathrow Airport is about 20 minutes away by car.
Nearby
- Kew Gardens and Richmond Park, with its deer.
- Bushy Park, next to the palace, with Chestnut Avenue.
- The Tower of London and the other royal palaces of London.
Tips
- How long: at least half a day, ideally a full day.
- When to go: April to September for the gardens.
- A tip: arrive at opening time to see the kitchens and the Great Hall in peace, and leave the maze for the afternoon.