Hampton Court
500 years of royal history comes alive at the famous Hampton Court Palace. Highlights of the most extensive Tudor palace remains in England include the authentic Tudor Kitchens, the Great Hall, and the Chapel Royal. There is also the huge extension which covers the opulent era of the Stuart royal dynasty.
It was Henry VIII’s closest confidant Thomas Wolsey who built Hampton Court over 500 years ago when it was regarded as the most luxurious palace in England. The jealous king bullied Wolsey into handing it over, and spent a further £20 million on it. Amazingly, the original kitchens still operate. Demonstrations of Tudor cookery show how up to 1,000 people could be fed here daily. The Tudor wine cellar is also on show.
Other features worth investigating include the extraordinary medieval astronomical clock, the Chapel Royal, and the corridor still said to be haunted by the beheaded fifth wife of Henry VIII. There’s also an important collection of priceless artworks and tapestries, plus magnificent gardens featuring the world’s oldest maze for you to get lost in! In his seminal and well respected book England’s Thousand Best Houses, Simon Jenkins awards Hampton Court a rare five star status.