London: Hampton Court Palace

I guess I am trying to walk in the footsteps of the British royal families that I grabbed every chance I could to visit at least 1 palace when I am in UK.  Buckingham, the home to the British royals, was the first palace I have visited few years back.  On another visit, a friend took me to Windsor Castle, the "oldest inhabited castle in the world". This time, I visited Hampton Court Palace, originally built for Cardinal Wolsey but was presented to King Henry VIII and which is said to be his favorite residence. 

From Bath Road, Heathrow, I took the double-decker red bus #111, for a more than 1 hour joy ride to the borough of Richmond upon Thames, where Hampton Court Palace is.  The bus stop (Hampton Court Palace) is a stone's throw away from the palace gate.  The palace opens for visitors at 10AM and since I arrived quite early, I strolled along the Barge Walk which runs along the Thames River right beside the palace, and around the Rose Garden, one of the castle’s many gardens, where roses of different colors and sizes are in full bloom.

At  10 minutes before 10, the ticket office opened and I purchased a ticket for GBP20.90. It would have been cheaper by around GBP2 had I bought a it online.  We entered through the Seymour Gate instead of the main entrance, as there were some works going on, seemingly for an event, at the main entrance and the base court.  Upon scanning of the ticket, we proceeded to the "Base Camp" for the audio guide and to get a copy of the day’s programme and map. Upon entering the castle, I immediately noticed the decorative bricks and stones, which is a prominent feature of the palace. 

Bricks and Stones

I headed towards the Clock Court, which has the 16th century, still-functional, astronomical clock which shows not only the time, but also the “phases of the moon, the month, the quarter of the year, the date, sun and star sign, and high water at London Bridge.”

The Clock Court

From the Clock Court, I proceeded to the Young Henry VIII's Story section, and to the different rooms which shows the major events of his life, including his controversial marriages.  Visitors will then be led towards William III's state apartments and private rooms, through the King’s Stairs, a very regal staircase. There, guests will see the Guard Chamber, the Presence Chamber or the throne room, the Privy Chamber, the Great Bed Chamber and the Little Bedroom.  Downstairs is William III’s private apartment where they lived. 

The King's Stairs

The Presence Chamber

At the other side of the Clock Court is Henry VIIIs Apartments, which includes the Great Hall.  I visited on a Monday there was a 60 minute play at the Great Hall called “Power Play”, which gives a glimpse of the politics, intrigues and power plays in 1533 during the reign of Henry VIII. Part of the play was musical, and the actors and actresses engaged the audience on some parts and kept us moving. Together with  “King Henry VIII” , we walked to the Council Chamber, and with “Jane Seymour”, we went to the Wine Cellar.  The other half of the audience walked with “Anne Boleyn” to the other parts of the palace.

The Power Play cast

After the play, I went to the Chapel Royal, which is said to be the heart of the palace.  There are regular services held in the Chapel Royal and taking pictures is not allowed.  On the other side would be the Fountain Court, which showcases baroque architecture. The East Front Garden can be accessed from the Fountain Court.

The Fountain Court

My favorite part of the palace is the East Front Garden or the Fountain Garden.  It looked very beautiful with the fountain framed in avenues of clipped yew trees.  I also loved the really colorful flowers. It is said that some of the yew trees in this garden are around 300 years old, and the others 75 to 100 years old. There are seats under the yew trees, which is a very nice place to sit, and to just enjoy the view or to have a picnic.

The fountain

Avenue of Yew Trees

Flowers and Yew Trees

Close to the East Front Garden is the royal tennis court, which is still being used today. From the East Front Garden, there is an access to the Privy Garden. From the Privy Garden, I took a short walk to the Great Vine, passing through the Banquetting House and the Pond Gardens.  The Great Vine, planted in 1768, is still producing grapes until today, making it the world’s largest productive vine.

The Privy Garden

I headed out through the Seymour Gate and went to see the Maze, the Rose Garden (again) and the Kitchen Garden.  The Maze is the oldest hedge maze from the late 17th century.

After 4 hours, I had to head back to the hotel to make it to the evening socials, which officially starts our 1 week workshop.  Time to do some work!

How to get there from the Bath Road, Heathrow:

Hampton is in Richmond Borough.  From the Bath/Nene Road bus stop in Heathrow, Hampton Court Palace is only 1 bus ride via Bus 111, though the journey will take around 1.5 hours. The travel time is shorter if you take the underground train, however it would amount to the same journey time if you count the waiting time for the bus to transfer you from the underground station to the palace.