Hampton Court was built in 1515 by Henry VIII’s favourite advisor (or at least he was before the break from the Catholic Church!), Thomas Wolsey. When Wolsey fell out of favour, the palace became one of the king’s favourite residences, where the court often presided. When looking at the building this is clear, just from the state of the brick work, then when you enter the building, it is there in the grandiose intricate detailing on the ceilings.

This location is absolutely beautiful. The palace is next to the River Thames in a picturesque English village, just outside the hustle and bustle of central London. When we visited it was a lovely late spring/early summer day where the weather was ideal for a stroll around the outer walls and along the river, the perfect place for a money-saving picnic.

The palace is also a great place of learning, if you are a history lover like I am. I spent hours wandering the halls and different exhibits, reading the plaques that line the rooms to explain the previous uses and inhabitants. Hampton Court offers a great location for school trips, as well, having rooms set aside for this sole purpose. Two of the photos above (found on the Hampton Court Facebook page) are of two such rooms; the kitchen and the great hall, both of which have been set out and decorated to depict what they would have looked like at the time of Henry VIII when his court was in residence.

When buying tickets online, which I almost always advocate, you have the option of adding a donation. This is NOT essential, but the additional money will go towards their “charitable work”. Their website doesn’t actually explain exactly what this is, but I’d assume it goes to helping with the conservation of these old buildings.

Included in the ticket price are the many gardens (where there are several ice cream vendors for those hot summer days) and the events and exhibitions. I’m always partial to a falconry display and, for example, an upcoming event at Hampton Court (this was written before lockdown began, so please check the HRP website before visiting to discover the current events) is “Gold and Glory: Henry VIII and the French King” revolving around the Field of the Cloth of Gold. So, if there is a particular interest that you have, take a look to see if there’s any upcoming exhibitions that you want to incorporate into your visit.

This palace definitely has a place in England’s history. If walls could talk, these would have so many extraordinary tales that historians would be eager to hear. Hampton Court is definitely a place worthy of a visit if you can carve out the time. Today, it has been announced that this location will be opening its doors again on the 17th July 2020 with some slight restrictions due to social distancing requirements.