East Molesey - Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace, perhaps the finest and most interesting of Britain's royal palaces, lies southwest of London on the north bank of the Thames. It is no longer a royal residence, but part of the palace is still occupied by persons who have been granted "grace and favor" apartments by the monarch. The palace was built between 1514 and 1520 as a private residence for Cardinal Wolsey, who presented it to Henry VIII in order to secure the king's favor. The Great Hall and other parts of the palace date from Henry's occupation. Five of his six wives (the exception being Catherine of Aragon) lived here as queen, and the ghosts of his third and fifth wives, Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard, are said to haunt the palace. It was a favorite residence of Elizabeth I, who heard of the defeat of the Spanish Armada while staying here. Charles I also lived at Hampton Court, both as king and as Cromwell's prisoner. The first major alterations to the palace were carried out in the reign of William and Mary, when the east wing was rebuilt by Wren in Renaissance style, the Tudor west part remaining unaltered. The palace was opened to the public in the time of Victoria. The main features of interest in the palace itself are the Clock Court, with its astronomical clock, made for Henry VIII in 1540; the State Apartments, including the Haunted Gallery; the Chapel; the Great Hall, with its magnificent hammerbeam roof and fine tapestries; the King's Apartments; the kitchens and cellars, which give some idea of the problems of provisioning a palace of this size; and the Tudor tennis court, which is still in use from mid March to mid October.

Visitors should also take time to explore the grounds of the palace - the Privy Garden, the Pond Garden, the Elizabethan Knot Garden, the Broad Walk, the Wilderness. The gardens are at their best in mid-May, when the flowers are in full bloom. The Great Vine, over 200 years old, is of particular interest. Also in the grounds are the Upper Orangery and the Lower Orangery, which contains Mantegna's masterpiece, "The Triumph of Caesar". Another great attraction, particularly for children, is the famous Maze.