Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, near London. It's not been lived in by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is about 10 miles upstream from Central London, on the River Thames. It was originally built for Cardinal Wolsey, a favourite with King Henry VIII, circa 1514; in 1529, as Wolsey fell from favour, Hampton Court Palace was acquired by the King, who enlarged it. That's the official version - Henry took an instant liking to the palace and was more than a little miffed, that someone other than the king should own such an ostentatious palace. It was only a matter of time before it would somehow find its way into his possession.

The following century, William III's extensive rebuilding and expansion project, intended to rival Versailles was begun. Work halted in 1694, leaving Hampton Court Palace in two distinct contrasting architectural styles, domestic Tudor and Baroque. While the palace's styles are an accident of fate, you can't deny that they work well together. The facade (South Front) in the picture on the right, is the work of Sir Christopher Wren.

Hampton Court Palace is one of the most haunted buildings in the country with famous spooks including: Catherine Howard, Jane Seymour and Henry VIIIth himself. In 2003 the palace hit the headlines when a security camera was pointed at a door which kept opening and revealed a 'ghost' as the cause. I'll let you be the judge of its authenticity (it's posted below), but the palace are not renowned for using low-ball tricks to generate publicity.

Today, the palace is a major tourist attraction and fully open to the public. The palace's Home Park is the site of the annual Hampton Court Palace Festival and Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Along with St. James's Palace, it is one of only two surviving palaces, out of the many owned by Henry VIII.

Although the maze is renowned - it is something of a disappointment when visited in the flesh; being surprisingly unimpressive. This is more than compensated however, by the outstanding appeal of the entire estate. So don't let it put you off - just manage your expectations. If you had to pressure me, I'd go out on a limb and state it's the most interesting building in the UK - and amongst a select handfull globally. It oozes history at the turn of every corridor and 'working' parts such as the kitchens, lend an insight into what it was like being employed by the Crown. Tours are conducted by actors in traditional costume and they really work their parts - throwing themselves into the roles with gusto (and music). Though the sheer presence of Hampton Court Palace as a backdrop, makes the acting a shade easier.

 

Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, KT8 9AU

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