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Hampton Court Hampton Court is not in London itself, but was a short train ride out of the city. I found it to be the most interesting palace/castle we visited on our trip. This is partially due to the fact that it's essentially no longer in active use. There is one "Grace and Favor" couple still living there, but that's it. Grace and Favor was the term given to the boons that were granted to those that were in favor with the royalty. At one point there were many such people/families living at Hampton Court. The practice has since stopped. In any case, the fact that the palace is not inhabited by the Royals means that almost all of it is open to tourists. It was first used as a royal residence by Henry VIII. Some other monarchs to spend significant time here were James I, Charles I, Queen Anne, George II and William III. It was William III that generated the changes to Hampton Court that generally define the way you see it today. This includes the Privy Garden (the Kings private garden) which was recently redone to match what it would have looked like when completed originally. Before this, the garden had reverted to a more "natural" state including large trees and overground underbrush. There are large gardens to walk through, apartments of Henry VIII as well as William III, the Tudor Kitchen and the (in)famous hedge maze. Unfortunately the maze was closed to visitors while we were there but everything else was open. They have tour guides dress in the styles of the times for which they guide (Henry's or William's). It was a long day, but we enjoyed it very much. It's a photogenic place too. I took more pictures here than anywhere else. |