A day at Hampton Court

I think I've mentioned before that Matt and I keep a list of things that we want to do in London.  Hampton Court Palace was at the top of that list for a long time and late last year we finally made the journey.  The royals used to travel from Hampton Court to Westminster via the Thames, passing through the locks along the way.  It sounds so romantic. I knew that I needed to combine that Thames boat trip with our visit to the Palace.  So on a beautiful fall day, we crossed this one off of the list.  

Hampton Court was built in the 1500's and is one of the two remaining residences of the infamous Henry VIII.  It was opened to the public by Queen Victoria in 1838.  I think it's my favorite royal residence.  There is so much to see from the private rooms, the massive kitchens, the gardens and the maze.

As you enter you're watched by 10 of the King's Beasts.  These carved stone beasts are lined up on either side  of the moat.  A lion, unicorn, bull, greyhound, panther and dragon are included in the zoo of mythical and real creatures.  You can also see this line up at Kew Gardens. 

Admission to the palace is about £18 and you can get a discount if you order online.  The price of the ticket includes an audioguide.  They also have felt capes to wear if you want to blend in with the court.  The great hall is certainly great and the hammer beamed ceiling is beautiful.

There is so much to see.  There were costumed actors throughout playing out courtly scenes.  The heart of the palace is The Chapel Royal which is particularly special although no photos allowed.  I would love to attend a service there. 

I had so much fun photographing this space.  I particularly love the tapestries.  But the shadow and light in certain rooms were really mesmerizing.   This lacy shadow on the stone staircase was magical. 

We didn't spend nearly enough time in the garden and sadly we skipped the maze.  The perfect excuse to return on a summer day with a picnic. 

More tapestries and light.  I couldn't get enough.  Look at that dark wood.  It's been called England's Versailles and I much prefer this version.  The only thing missing from this room was a cat sunning himself on that tiled floor. 

I also really loved the massive kitchens, 36,000 square feet of kitchen space designed to feed a massive Royal Court throughout the day.  Stone, wood, fires and pottery all mixed in such a beautiful way under a high beamed roof.  I'm sure in the peak of its use it would have included some less pristine sights and smells.  Oh, to be a time traveler. 

Hampton Court Palace is right on the banks of the Thames in Richmond Upon Thames.  It's about 17 miles from central London.  We took the 35 minute train from Waterloo to get there.  The reason we skipped the maze is because it was time to catch our Royal Barge home.  (After a cozy pub lunch, of course.)

Well, it wasn't exactly a Royal Barge but lovely nonetheless.  Our journey home was the perfect way to spend about three hours.  The time sped by as there was so much to see along the way.  We snuggled in right by an open window and shared a gin & tonic as we passed through several locks and saw a whole different side of London. 

Hampton Court Palace is open year round, but the boats only run from April to October.  This should definitely be on your list of must sees in London.  We're planning that picnic in the gardens for this summer.  

Have you been to Hampton Court Palace?

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