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A Day Trip To Hampton Court Palace

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If you’re looking for a day trip from central London, then Hampton Court Palace is a really great choice. And there’s lots of reasons why.

Firstly, Hampton Court Palace is just 40 minutes away from central London – making it the perfect travelling distance for a day trip away from the city. Not only that – but there’s so much to see and do here. It’s easy to spend a full day exploring inside the palace and outside in it’s beautiful gardens. So for just 40 minutes of travel, you’re getting access to a full days worth of history and activities.

This post is a virtual tour of Hampton Court Palace. I hope that it will do the following for you:

But before I tell you more about my day trip to Hampton Court, let me tell you a little bit more about the palace and its amazing history.

Introduction – Hampton Court Palace

A Brief History

You will find stories and interesting facts about Hampton Court throughout this post, as I explore the different sections of the palace. But before diving in any further, let me provide some context. 

Hampton Court Palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey almost 500 years ago. Wolsey was the chief advisor to King Henry VIII during the early years of his reign. In 1529, Wolsey fell out of favour with King Henry, mainly because he’d failed to secure Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon. To win back the King’s favour, he gave Hampton Court Palace to King Henry as a gift.

Henry extended the palace after Wolsey’s death to make it the largest palace in the Kingdom. It was the only place large enough to host the entire royal court. Hampton Court became house and home to King Henry VIII. Although the King rarely stayed in one place for long (he was fond of a day trip too), Henry spent a lot of time at Hampton court. And for this reason, the palace became the backdrop for many events in Tudor history. All six of Henry’s wives stayed in the palace at some point and all three of Henry’s children spent time here while they were Kings and Queens of England.

Since then, the palace has been extended many times, but it’s never been completely refurbished. Each new section of the palace has been added onto the existing building. This means that the palace is a tapestry of architectural styles. The Royal family stopped living here in the 1700’s. Hampton Court opened to visitors and our fellow day trippers in 1838.

Today, Hampton Court Palace is a well known tourist attraction and a popular day trip from London. So now you know a little bit more about Hampton Court’s history, let’s take a look inside.

A Day Trip To Hampton Court

Begin Your Tour at Hampton Court’s West Gate

Your day trip to Hampton Court Palace will begin at the West Gate, which has changed very little in the past 500 years. You will arrive for your visit, just as Henry VIII’s visitors arrived in the 15th century.

Tudor Kings and Queens liked to show the world how powerful and wealthy they were. One way of doing this was by building lavish and elaborate palaces to live in. Hampton Court was no exception. In fact, it was one of the most luxurious palaces at the time.

The exterior of Hampton Court Palace helped to demonstrate Henry’s wealth. Just imagine being an foreign envoy, travelling from abroad and arriving stunning exteriors of Hampton Court. You wonder who would live in a palace as luxurious as this one!

The King’s Beasts

The Kings beasts welcome you at the drawbridge. These ten heraldic statues originally guarded a moat surrounding the palace and are symbolic of the Tudor dynasty. There are also nods to the heraldry of the Seymour family who rose to power soon after Henry moved into Hampton Court Palace.

This was thanks to Jane Seymour who was Henry’s third wife. Jane died in Hampton Court Palace, shortly after giving birth to Henry’s only surviving son, Edward. Edward would become Edward VI following Henry’s death in 1547.

Enter Hampton Court Palace – Base Court

Head through the West Gate and enter the Base Court. This is where the King’s visitors would arrive ahead of their meeting with King Henry. The entrance to the royal apartments is opposite the West Gate.

The Hampton Court Chimneys

Look upwards to see another exampe of Henry demonstrating his power and wealth. This time with decorative chimneys. You can see most of Hampton Court Palace’s elaborate chimneys from the Base Court. You’re probably wondering how chimneys could elevate a person’s status. Chimneys were a new invention in Tudor times. Just having a chimney on your home was a sign of wealth. So it’s no surprise that Henry enjoyed having lots of chimneys and at Hampton Court he designed them to be as eye-catching as possible.

I know, I know. – I promised you a thrilling day trip to Hampton Court Palace and here I am, waxing lyrical about chimney design…but take a look. They’re pretty impressive by the standard of todays chimneys.

The Young Henry Exhibit

The fountain in the Base Court is a replica from the Field of the Cloth of Gold. This was a huge meeting with French King near Calais in 1520. It was no ordinary fountain. This one served wine rather than water.

To find out more about the early years of Henry VIII, look for the Young Henry exhibit. It’s starts in the Base Court. This exhibit will give you more context of what was happening before Henry moved into Hampton Court in 1529. This includes Henry’s first marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his infamous divorce. The Field of the Cloth of Gold is a part of this story.

Henry VIII’s Kitchen

Once you’ve found out more about Henry’s youth, head towards Henry VIII’s kitchens which are in a separate wing close to the base court. I’d recommend going here before heading into the royal apartments. The kitchens will set the scene for the Great Hall. Plus the exit to the royal apartments is at the other end of the palace so you’d need to head backwards to get to the kitchen.

Deliveries of food to the palace arrived the Seymour gate, on the west side of the palace. This gate leads into a separate court leading into the palace kitchens. Inside this section you will find food storage rooms as well as the kitchen areas filled with fresh ingredients.

The Astronomical Clock

Before heading up the stairs at the Anne Boleyn Gateway, head into the Clock Court to see the Astronomical Clock. This clock measures the time, date, moon visibility and high tide at London Bridge. The clock was helpful to the Tudors (fellow day trippers maybe) who would travel from Hampton Court to London Bridge using the river. The clock allowed for them to plan their trips with the appropriate tides.

This astronomical clock still functions despite being almost 500 years old.

Ann Boleyn was a famous resident in this tower, at a period in which Henry was married to Catherine of Aragon. Catherine stayed in the building opposite the astronomical tower. I like to image to two women glaring at each other across the cobbled court yard. It’s very likely that their paths will have crossed in this space. If only walls could talk!

Hampton Court’s Great Hall

This splendid dining hall is a jewel in the crown of Hampton Court and this room was host to great feasts and celebrations. This splendor is still evident 500 years later. Huge biblical tapestries line the walls, as they did in Tudor times, complemented by magnificent stained-glass windows. There is a carved wooden ceiling which will keep your eye fixed upwards.

There’s so much detail in this room, much of it easily missed. I’d recommend taking some time in this room. Although you will spend most of this time looking upwards!

At the head of the Great hall there are two thrones, yet King Henry visited the hall very rarely. The Great Hall was more often a dining room for the palace staff. However on special occasions the hall became the venue for spectacular feasts and entertainment events.

After marrying Ann Boleyn, Henry had the palace decorated in symbols representing his new love. These had to be hastily removed after Henry has Ann Boleyn beheaded in 1536. But if you look closely in the Great Hall, you might spot one of the symbols that was missed. The letters H and A can been seen intertwined in one of the carvings.

Look closely at some of the carvings and you’ll find another remnant of Anne Boleyn which must have been missed where her symbols were removed. The letter H and A can be found intertwined within one of the carvings. Ask a member of staff if you need help finding it.

From the Great Hall, walk towards the Great Watching Chamber. This is where the Royal Guards stood and where noble men would wait for the King’s presence. Gradually the surrounds become increasingly opulent and visitors would move gradually closer to the King or Queen.

Processional Route and Haunted Gallery

This was one of my favorite rooms at Hampton Court Palace. Probably because of the infamous events that allegedly happened here. Traditionally the King’s guards would be heavily present here and the walkway was exclusively for the use of the King’s closest advisors. This helps to maintain a safe distance between the monarch and their subjects. Tudor fans commonly associate this room with the events ending Henry’s marriage to Catherine Howard in 1542.

In 1542, Catherine Howard became aware of Henry’s desire to have her executed. Sources claim that Catherine dramatically charged along this corridor, begging forgiveness for her alleged adultery.

The King’s guards stopped Catherine from reaching Henry and it is unknown whether he was aware of these events. From here Catherine traveled from Hampton Court Palace by river to the Tower of London and eventually executed. Some believe that Catherine Howard still haunts this passageway and many have experienced unexplained phenomena in the room.

Today the gallery is home to portraits of the Tudor royal family including a magnificent, almost life-sized portrait of Henry himself.

The Royal Chapel

The Royal Chapel is the final section with Henry VIII’s Royal Apartments and visitors view this from a first-floor balcony. This balcony was the Royal Pew and is where the Kings and Queens would worship privately. This therefore allowed the King and Queen a safe distance from other worshipers. The three rooms in the Royal Pew were previously two separate rooms. One was for the King, the other for the Queen.

It was within the Royal Pew, that Henry VIII first discovered Catherine Howard’s adultery via an anonymous note. This ultimately led to Catherine’s execution. The ceiling in the Royal Chapel is spectacular, a reflection of the opulent surroundings required for the Tudor Kings and Queens.

The Stuarts

Hampton Court wasn’t just home to the Tudors. The Stuarts and the Georgians also inhabited the palace whilst restoring and renovating sections of the palace. Time passed and eventually Hampton Court Palace began to lack the grandeur required of a royal palace. The Royal Palace of Versailles in France set a new standard for what a royal palace should look like.

William III and Mary II became joint King and Queen in 1689, by which point Hampton Court Palace was over 150 years old. The joint monarchs began a renovation of the palace with plans to gradually demolish the Tudor sections, replacing them with a more contemporary design.

Due to this renovation, wings of Hampton Court Palace look very different from the original Tudor wing. The full renovation was never finished which is why the main Tudor wings still survive. However, some sections have been lost including the Royal Apartments. It would be easy to assume that the Stuart sections belonged to a very different palace. Although equally beautiful, the designs are very different from the Tudor sections.

The new wings were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, one of the finest architects of the era. He also redesigned St Paul’s Cathedral following the great fire of London in 1666.

The interior of these sections are stunning, decorated with beautiful frescoes and murals which line the walls and ceilings.

The Gardens

Your day trip to Hampton Court Palace would not be complete without a visit to the amazing gardens and grounds. You can spend hours in this section, so best plan your visit when the weather is good, if at all possible.

There are many different garden areas which reflect the different eras of design at Hampton Court Palace. The Stuart Gardens are beautifully manicured and landscaped with amazing fountains and ponds. These gardens are the perfect companions to Sir Christopher Wren’s extension of the palace.

The Tudor sections are slightly more informal but equally beautiful. Elegant pathways curve around beautiful rose beds. Plus there’s a garden connected to the Tudor kitchens. The Wilderness Garden includes the Maze, which is small but still takes some time to crack. Make sure you keep hold of your palace ticket as this will cover your entrance into the Maze also.

Travelling to Hampton Court Palace – How to get there

Train

The easiest way to travel to Hampton Court Palace from central London is by train. The Hampton Court train station is a short walk from the palace. You can catch a train every 30 minutes from Waterloo Station. Once you arrive at Hampton Court, it’s a 5-10 minute walk to the palace entrance (which is well signposted).

It’s in TFL zone 6.

Car

There’s a car park on site plus additional parking spaces on Hampton Court Green.

Tickets and Opening Times

Entry into the palace costs between £26 and £30 but can be cheaper for concessions. Save time buy booking your tickets online before your visit.

The palace is open from 10am – 6pm each day.

Discover Tudor History for Home

Hands up, I love Tudor history. It’s fair to say that I’ve read a few books and watched a few films about the Tudors in my time. If you are reading this thinking you’d like to find out more I’d recommend the following.

The Tudors – TV Series

What the series lacks in historical accuracy, it makes up for in drama and intrigue. The series is a delicious romp through the reign of King Henry VIII including all six wives. Gripping from start to finish.

Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey

his historical account of Henry’s wives is relatively easy to read despite the length of the book. The book focuses mostly on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. That’s because these Queens were around for the longest.

The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo

I love this book. Susan Bordo is a feminist and looks at how our modern perceptions have marred the reputation of a fascinating and powerful woman.

Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII’s Fifth Queen by Josephine Wilkinson

Katherine Howard doesn’t receive as much attention as some of the other queens. However her story is a fascinating one and her downfall casts light upon Henry’s character at the later stages of his life. Many of these events took place at Hampton Court Palace.

Mary I: Daughter of Time by Allen Lane

Mary I is a fascinating character from the Tudor times with a compelling story. Many of these events of Mary’s life took place at Hampton Court. This book is part of the Penguin Monarchs series which I love for their quirky and compact style.

Six – The Musical

The six wives of Henry VIII join forces to create a glittering girl band in this new West End Musical. An alternative slant on the historic events and bringing Tudor history to a new generation.

Travel to Hampton Court Palace – Thank You

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