Hampton Court Palace

May 16:  A day at Hampton Court , the Tudor palace of Henry VIII, with his six wives, and three offspring (who all became kings or queens, however briefly; Elizabeth I being the last and the best known).  The palace has also more modern sections constructed for the Stuart kings and the Hanover (or Georgian) kings, so it is quite a mishmash of architectural history.

The 'Base Court' with 'wine' fountain

The 'Base Court in the other direction

The Great Room Ceiling

The actors, who told the stories of the Court

We arrived in time to watch a troupe of actors that guided us around among the large rooms known as Henry VIII's Apartments.  The players were quite good and gave a strong sense of the fraught court intrigues arising from Henry's passion to obtain a male heir.  The bit of the story we got was the painful effort to divorce the virtuous Catherine (wife #1 and mother of Mary) and become engaged to the vixenish Anne Boleyn.  We attended another performance in the Great Hall by the same actors where they reenacted a visit by Shakespeare and the King's Company, who were rehearsing Hamlet.  King James I was part of the audience and had to get into the action, by being curious about "the play within a play."

We toured the rooms telling the Young Henry VIII story, followed by King William III's apartments.  William, a Dutchman, married Mary, who was of royal English blood.  He added an immense new wing on the Palace which faced southeastward to the river, around 1699, in the baroque style.  Each room connected to the next, and access to each successive room was based on a person's status.  The design was by Christopher Wren, a famous architect whose work is spread around London.  King William also had a very nice, formal "Privy Garden" planted on this side.   He also gave Grinling Gibbons, the most renowned wood craver of the time, commissions to make highly detailed mirror and picture surrounds and the like.

The Guard Room "decorations"

The Privy Garden - planted for William III and Mary 

Wood craving by G. Gibbons

We returned to the 16th century and Henry VIII, spending some more time in his apartments.  The first was the Great Hall, the largest room in the Palace, with a wonderful 'hammer-beam' roof that was originally painted in blue, red and gold.  Six of nine 'Abraham' tapestries hang on the walls.  These tapestries were commissioned by Henry and depict the life of biblical Abraham.  Henry collected tapestries and owned more than 2000 of them.

Closeup of a tapestry

One of the 9 large priceless tapestries

The progression of rooms is similar in layout to King William's (he got the idea from Henry) where the rooms get smaller, more lavishly decorated, and more exclusive to the King and his closest advisors.  We saw the chapel, where no photographs are allowed, that is richly appointed with a blue and gold ceiling, a golden pipe organ (from Queen Anne's era), and a replica of the crown used by Henry and succeeding monarchs.  The crown weighs 3.5 pounds and has real pearls, sapphires and gold.  The docent said it is one of the most expensive reproductions every made.

We then toured the kitchens, where food for more than 600 people was prepared daily.  The audio guide described each store room and kitchen, and described it as a "factory."  It was arranged for easy delivery of goods, specialized preparation areas, cool storage, and administration/bookkeeping.

Out back, we strolled through the Great Fountain Garden, with its large pool and sculpted trees.  Beyond the fence in the home park (or hunting grounds), there is a long canal, 2 large herds of fallow deer, and 20,000 lime trees planted to form a 'goose foot' pattern. There are more gardens on the north side of the palace, including rose beds, the kitchen garden, a natural or wilderness area, a maze, and a children's play area, which are open to the public.

View through the Great Fountain Garden

3/4 mile long canal within the Home Park

Some of the 20,000 Lime trees planted in the Home Park

The Privy Garden with William's side of the Palace

One of 5 gold leafed gates by the Thames

Beech Arbor

Two tall 'drinks of waters'

The Pond Gardens

We left the palace around 5:00 pm and walked over 5 miles on the Thames Path downstream to Teddington.  We walk around an 'oxbow' section of the river surrounding most of the Hampton Court Home Park.  We passed several small towns and long, thin islands in the river itself.  We crossed the river twice and reached the last lock and weir at Teddington, where the tidal effects reach the furthest.  We had supper at a pub (it was quiz night) and took the train home.

Green Parakeet, escaped from Richmond Park