London Trip Report, Twenty-Four Hours 3: Hampton Courtroom Palce

Day 3, April 30, 2013, Tues: Hampton Court Palace

Again some other brilliant sunny solar daytime together with nosotros were off to Waterloo station to board the Southwest develop to Hampton Court Palace..

We passed through wimbledon; in that location are frequent trains—4 every hour.

In 35 minutes nosotros were at the duad crossing the Thames to motion into the regal palace..

After a 200 m walk from the develop station across the bridge, reached the palace entrance only inward fourth dimension when the palace was opening.

Bought tickets with the 2 for 1 discount showing our move bill of fare together with the coupon. They encourage people to move yesteryear develop together with avoid congestion—when you lot acquaint national rails tickets, tin purchase 2 palace entry tickets for the cost of one.

Had the railroad vehicle to ourselves.

We already had this map printed from the website.

Hampton Court Palace is inward Richmond , Greater London, located 11.7 miles (18.8 kilometres) due south due west of Charing Cross on the River Thames.

It was originally built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a favourite of King Henry VIII, circa 1514; inward 1529, equally Wolsey brutal from favour, the palace was passed to the King, who enlarged it.

The next century, King William III's massive projection intended to competition Versailles was begun. Work halted inward 1694, leaving the palace inward 2 distinct contrasting architectural styles, domestic Tudor together with Baroque.

During the Tudor period, this palace was the scene of many historic events.

In 1537, King Henry VIII's much desired manly someone heir, Edward VI, was born at this palace together with the child's mother, Jane Seymour, died in that location 2 weeks later.

Four years afterwards, whilst aid Mass inward the palace's chapel, the King was informed of his 5th wife's adultery. The Queen, Catherine Howard, was hence confined to her room for a few days before beingness sent to the Tower of London. Legend claims she briefly escaped her guards together with ran through The Haunted Gallery to beg Henry for her life but she was recaptured....Staff receive got reported hearing screaming together with crying together with fifty-fifty thumping on the chapel doors, visitors receive got also claimed to receive got had unpleasant encounters of Catherine Howard.

After King Henry VIII died inward 1547 he was succeeded by his boy Edward VI, together with hence yesteryear both his daughters inward turn.

In Hampton Court Queen Mary I (Henry's eldest daughter) spent her honeymoon with King Philip, after their wedding ceremony at Winchester. She also chose Hampton Court equally the house for the nativity of her get child, which turned out to live the get of 2 imitation pregnancies..

To hold the ghost theme, Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's 3rd married adult woman together with woman nurture of Edward VI has also been seen silently walking towards her son's room.

Dame Sybil Penn, Edward VI's nurse died of smallpox inward 1562 together with her grave was damaged yesteryear a tempest inward the early on 19th century. Staff receive got repeatedly complained of hearing the sounds of an old adult woman muttering together with the audio of a spinning wheel. Workman called inward to investigate discovered a concealed room containing an old spinning wheel.

In belatedly Dec 2003, Security guards were unsettled to repeatedly notice a burn downwards door opened upward when no i was obviously around. Upon checking the safety tape, they were shocked yesteryear a ghostly figure, closely resembling King Henry VIII (who died inward the 1500s). they’d ruled out their costumed guides. In fact, they don’t fifty-fifty ain a costume similar the i worn yesteryear the figure on the video.

We took a await at the decorated Tudor brickwork of the edifice together with the 500 twelvemonth old astronomical clock inward the tower which still runs showing non only the fourth dimension of day, but also the date, the month, the quarter of the year, the phases of the moon, the Sun together with star sign, together with high H2O at London Bridge…

they definitely needed the concluding i equally they commuted to the palace through the Thames together with it seems in that location were unsafe rapids at London bridge.

This is the Base courtroom correct after the entrance...

We sauntered on to the province apartments—the split king’s apartments together with the Queen’s.

This is the Great Hall: It’s England’s concluding together with greatest medieval hall.

The hammer-beam roof is master copy together with dates dorsum 500 years together with its walls are hung with Henry VIII’s most splendid tapestries.

Better pic from the net...

This magnificent laid of x trace the biblical story of Abraham. They were commissioned yesteryear Henry VIII inward the early on 16th century together with woven inward Brussels betwixt 1541 together with 1543 using silk, wool together with aureate together with silverish metallic element threads. The borders of the tapestries tell the moral important of the motion paradigm they surround.

There are Seats to residue after admiring the tapestries...

we wondered how these huge pieces are hung on the walls....interesting fact...All large-scale textiles are hung with Velcro because it distributes the weight evenly piece allowing for adjustment to live made. It also makes it much easier to take away them inward an emergency. It takes fourteen conservators to hang upward a slice using special scaffolds!

This hall is i of Britain’s oldest theatres. William Shakespeare’s fellowship – the ‘King’s Men’ – performed hither for King James I over Christmas together with New Year's Day inward 1603-4.

Even the step instance was AWESOME. paintings on staircase. almost iii dimensional—pillars/columns await hence real.

the armour room where the weapons were hence artistically mounted on the walls was great.

The 1st room inward the province apartments has a magnificent display of arms designed to impress other royal visitors virtually the king's military machine might.

This porcelain slice is the novel pattern of burn downwards house meant to warm the room.

Such intricate tapestries—-it took artisans ages to create these pieces. For a skilled weaver a foursquare metre of coarsely woven tapestry would accept a calendar month to create. The tapestries at Hampton Court Palace are finely woven together with would receive got taken longer.

Tapestries are wall hangings; woven from wool, silk together with metallic element threads. Unlike embroidery the pattern is an integral purpose of the textile rather than a decoratively stitched fabric. Tapestry was the most pop fine art shape of the English linguistic communication Tudor court. They were costly to make together with created an impressive yet portable agency of displaying royal power. They were woven inward sets, with a unlike chapter from the story depicted on each tapestry. Different sets would live hung according to the flavour or for a special event.

Henry VIII owned virtually 2,500 pieces of tapestry.

Tapestries began with the production of a small-scale paradigm known equally the petit patron, which would hence live enlarged yesteryear the designer into a full-scale cartoon. This was placed behind the loom hence that the weaver could follow the design. Many weavers worked on a unmarried slice side yesteryear side

Tapestries were woven sideways. This meant that the paradigm had a laid summit but an infinite width allowing for to a greater extent than reach with design. The summit of the tapestry would decide how many weavers would live able to sit down comfortably at the loom.

The character of the tapestry was determined yesteryear iii things: the artistic character of the cartoon, the science of the weavers together with the density of the weave. The Abraham tapestries receive got a real high weave count of 18-20 warp threads per inch together with are alongside the most lavish sets produced inward Brussels at the time, with a high pct of silk together with much aureate together with silverish metallic element thread.

We admired the tapestries, paintings together with the royal slice of furniture along with a huge stained drinking glass bay window.

This is the throne room where the Rex conferred with his visitors... could non aid thinking how much grander the Russian palaces are.

The mounted antlers close the staircase entrance were pretty too, though a niggling disturbing—so many animals must receive got been hunted for pleasance yesteryear the royalty together with the trophies had to live displayed!!

Hentry VIII was real fond of hunting—these antlers must live his trophies.

Portrait of Henry VIII here.

He was skilful looking together with an fantabulous sportsman. After xx years of marriage, he divorced his married adult woman equally he wanted a manly someone heir. ..he ordered celebrations when she died but before her funeral, he brutal from a horse, developed injuries together with diabetes, became obese...

on the solar daytime of his 1st wife's funeral his favorite 3rd married adult woman who had given nativity to a manly someone heir died adding to his woes.

Henry's 3 children inward this portrait...

—his manly someone heir through his 3rd married adult woman who died before long after childbirth, his 1st missy Mary through his 1st wife. 2nd missy Elizabeth through his 2nd married adult woman Anne Boleyn who was executed at the Tower for adultery.

All these children were rulers of the country (Edward died immature at 15 years, Mary also died childless together with her sis Elizabeth I did non marry).

Then Scottish King James who was a cousin became the Rex of England also. The Bible he commissioned is still displayed at this palace; 1604 Bible looked awesome.

After James I, his boy Charles I was the king, Charles I had his honeymoon with his 15 twelvemonth old bride, Henrietta Maria hither inward 1625. But he was imprisoned hither during the civil state of war against monarchy together with beheaded.

Following King Charles' execution inward 1649, the palace became the belongings of the Commonwealth presided over yesteryear Oliver Cromwell. Unlike some other quondam royal properties, the palace escaped relatively unscathed.

This gatehouse is also known today equally Anne Boleyn's gate, after Henry's 2nd wife.

Work was still underway on Anne Boleyn's apartments higher upward the gate when the King, had her executed.

Our side yesteryear side halt was the Gift shop.

Then nosotros were at the Chapel Royal

The Gothic vaulted ceiling was stunning—we admired Henry VIII’s crown displayed inward the royal pew… tried to motion paradigm what it must receive got been similar when the Archbishop read out the tidings virtually the infidelities of Catherine Howard, Henry’s 5th married adult woman inward this real chapel!!

The double-height chapel was begun yesteryear Wolsey together with completed nether Henry VIII. no pics allowed inside...these are from the net.

Its timber together with plaster ceiling, a Gothic vault with Renaissance pendants is stunning. The altar is framed yesteryear a massive oak reredos inward Baroque style. Opposite the altar, at first-floor level, is the royal pew where the royal household unit of measurement would attend services apart from the full general congregation seated below.

Queen Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's quaternary married adult woman was painfully dragged downwards this gallery pleading to Henry non to live executed. Her ghost is said to haunt the place...

The novel wings roughly the Fountain Court incorporate novel province apartments together with individual rooms, i laid for the King together with i for the Queen. Each suite of province rooms is accessed yesteryear a province staircase. The royal suites are of completely equal value inward social club to reverberate William together with Mary's unique condition equally articulation sovereigns.

This is the outpouring courtroom installed yesteryear William together with Mary —Mary was the missy of James II.

Secrets of the Bedchamber Exhibition:

We saw a prissy exhibition of half-dozen royal beds inside...Secrets of the bedchamber exhibition —- no pics allowed. Pics below are from the net.

We had read upward the interesting stories from the website together with were peculiarly fascinated yesteryear the fact that a queen had to deliver her infant inward the presence of 200 courtiers together with yet the boy delivered was non acknowledged equally the heir!! in that location were several costumed docents inward the bed chambers talking virtually the stories going on during that era—-very interesting.

One of the displayed beds was that of Queen Catherine who was the 2nd married adult woman of James II. She had to give nativity to her infant on that bed in her bed sleeping room inward the presence of 200 courtroom members only to evidence the legitimacy of the heir. She gave nativity to a manly someone kid but still the courtiers defendant that her infant had died together with some other brought inward the warming pan... they did non wishing the boy of a Christian queen to live the heir together with after the 1st queen's missy became the queen.

Bed of Queen Catherine who was the 2nd married adult woman of James II

Another bed was that of Queen Charlotte, Queen of mad King George III— her silk bedspread was embroidered with thousands of authentic botanic specimens of flowers, trees.

Another was the move bed of kings, which could live detached into 52 pieces.

We sat on i of the benches at the courtyard together with had our picnic lunch.

Then Henry VIII arrived inward someone with a courtier together with started discussing some courtroom intrigue—nice photograph op for us…

Next nosotros went on to the formal gardens together with admired the tulips—quite straight forrad hither –not the artistry of St James common bloom beds.

The perfectly manicured yew tree mounds added to the beauty along with the still H2O bodies.

Highly formal, geometric Great Fountain Garden here, which is direct due east of the palace.

It has a French pattern style, with many features derived from Andre Le Notre, the French landscape designer who also worked at Versailles.

These yew trees are over 200 years old—they are irksome growing together with are trimmed every 2 years to this shape.

A long coach pulled yesteryear 2 thoroughbreds was standing yesteryear close the palace.

—we approached them together with asked what they charged for the ride together with how long should nosotros wait? They told us to pay them correct in that location together with we’ll receive got a ride roughly within five minutes fifty-fifty if no i else joined… nosotros paid upward the £5 together with sat inside… inward a few seconds, people nearby joined together with our coach was off on a trot roughly the palace grounds—-there was an interesting commentary equally well. the manicured yew trees nosotros had admired are 200 years old equally said earlier—we had imagined it must live strenuous operate maintaining their shape but it seems they are trimmed to shape only i time inward 2 years—they are sloooow growing. AWESOME

After the ride nosotros visited the royal kitchens.

The 36000 sq ft royal kitchens...Built to feed the Court of Henry VIII, these kitchens were designed to feed at to the lowest degree 600 people twice a day.

The annual provision of meat for the Tudor courtroom stood at 1,240 oxen, 8,200 sheep, 2,330 deer, 760 calves, 1,870 pigs together with 53 wild boar. This was all washed downwards with 600,000 gallons of beer.

A Castilian visitor to the Tudor courtroom inward 1554 said that the kitchens were ‘veritable hells, such is the stir together with bustle inward them … in that location is enough of beer here, together with they drinkable to a greater extent than than would fill upward the Valladolid river.'

Working inward the kitchens could live a sweaty together with muddied job. Henry VIII had to give orders that the scullions should halt going virtually ‘naked, or inward garments of such vileness equally they practise now, nor prevarication inward the nights together with days inward the kitchen or Earth yesteryear the fireside’.

We hence went towards the wilderness garden side of the palace… daffodils carpeted the Earth together with rhododendrons were inward total bloom—such a process for the eyes.

This lovely arched entrance leads to the gardens together with the famous Hampton Court Maze; planted inward the 1690s for William III of Orange.

The maze covers a 3rd of an acre together with contains one-half a mile of paths. The electrical current pattern replaced an before maze planted for Cardinal Wolsey. It was originally planted with hornbeam. The maze is inward sixty acres of riverside gardens.

Entered the maze confident that we’d live able to crevice it together with emerge at the larn out … no.. indeed… turned out the instance of humorist Jerome K jerome’s characters inward “ 3 men inward a boat”.. they had intended to pass 10 minutes inward the maze but were lost inward it for 3 days!!!

We ran into giggling groups of beau players who were going circular together with circular similar us—it was non bad fun… somehow managed to come upward to the pump of the maze together with clicked pics of our “triumph”..

from in that location was an slow path which took us dorsum the house where nosotros had entered the maze… on 2nd thoughts nosotros should receive got stared good at the map at the entrance together with memorized our strategy—however they state the map is non electrical current together with novel blind alleys receive got been added… anyhow it had been fantabulous fun…..

The maze tin still live threaded from entrance to centre together with dorsum yesteryear the method of ever remaining inward contact with the wall on one's right.