Hampton Court Palace

Lovely gardens, history and a maze… who could ask for anything more? Well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but a day spent at Hampton Court Palace is certainly enjoyable. Just a short trip out of London (catch a National Rail train from Waterloo or Wimbledon to Hampton Court, the Palace is right near the station), the Palace is easily accessible, and ideal for a day trip to escape the city.

Visiting in Spring is ideal, as the flowers in the extensive gardens are blooming. Set on the banks of the Thames, walking around the palace gardens is very pleasant. You can enjoy the landscaped loveliness of the King Privy Garden, wander around the well tamed grass and trees, sit by one of the fountains, or see the Great Vine, which holds the title in the Guiness Book of Records for being the biggest in the world. There are also fields of daffodils and many a park bench to sit and contemplate life and the world and what to have for dinner. You can also go for a dash around the historic hedge maze, that comes complete with kooky noises coming from little speakers hidden in the hedges. It wasn’t too difficult to navigate, but did bring back a bit of the child within. One small child approached us as asked with such lovely manners “do you know where the exit is?”… I felt rather sorry that I couldn’t help!



Inside the palace, your entry fee will get you a guided tour if you meet at the starting point at the right time. Your tour guide may even be dressed in costume from those ye olde days. Our guide had on half a dead animal and a dress that was doing something to her cleavage that no modern woman would tolerate. You can also get an audio tour. There is a lot to see inside, from the Tudor Kitchens to the Queen’s State Apartments to Henry VIII’s State Apartments. There is a lot of art on display in the buildings and you can spend a lot of time wandering around.



One feature that is brand new at the Palace is re-enactments of historic happenings. We were there on the first day of this new initiative and were led on a goose chase around the Palace as some of the ladies of the court tried to find out the latest goss as to why Catherine Howard (one of that lad Henry VIII’s wives… not the first Catherine though, the other one) had been placed under arrest and had not been crowned queen as of yet. Quite fun… some of the talk was a bit bawdy for the kids though, but it probably would have gone straight over their heads.




Want more info about the palace? Find out about opening hours, admission costs, history and all that jazz by clicking here.