Hampton Court Palace takes you through 500 years of royal history and garden design
It is approximately 1 hour drive from Central London.
- The majestic apartments of Henry VIII haunted by the spirits of his wives. It offers unrivalled 16th century Tudor magnificence, from realistic kitchens to hammer beam ceilings and priceless tapestries commission by Britain’s most notorious king
- The King’s and Queen’s apartments, comissioned during the reign of William and Mary and subsequent kings, taking you on a journey through the interior design and the way of life of royalty in 17th and 18th centuries.
- Priceless treasures from the royal collection are displayed at Hampton Court, including the Renaissance Picture Gallery
- 60 acres of spectacular gardens featuring the history of garden design from 16th century to the present day:
- An example of knot garden with box hedges popular in 16th century during Henry VIII and Elizabeth
- William II’s private garden recreated as it was in 1702 using plants that were originally grown there.
- The Maze, planted in 1702, is the one where the hero of Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat was hopelessly lost.
- A network of lakes, fountains and a canal of Victorian layout with clipped yew trees, some of which are 300 years old.
- Impressive displays of bedding can be found in the sunken Pond Gardens offering breathtaking beauty and photo opportunities
- And, of course, the oldest known vine in the world planted in a special conservatory in 1768 by Lancelot Capability Brown, still producing 300 kg of black grapes a year – if you are visiting at the right time, you can taste them in the Hampton Court Palace shop