Question of the week: Can you recommend a second London day-trip? "Of the many palaces in London, my favourite is Hampton Court. Building started in 1514, by Cardinal Wolsey, who lost the palace (and his life) to Henry VIII in 1530. Much of Hampton Court still looks similar to the way it did in Tudor times, the kitchens especially. Henry's children Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I all spent time at Hampton Court, as did the Stuart kings. After the Restoration, William and Mary made major changes to one wing of Hampton Court, providing it with the 'split personality' it still has today (half-Tudor, Half-Baroque).
For me, the best part about visiting Hampton Court is that I always seem to discover something new - the hedge maze is wonderful, but there's also a 'real tennis' court, where you can watch people play tennis as it was played since the 16th century. (Lawn tennis is a relatively recent, 19th century, invention.) If you go on the right weekend, you can see people cooking in the Tudor Kitchens, and taste what they make! Also, if you're looking for something to get you in the Halloween spirit, there have been many reports of hauntings - the most famous ghost is that of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife; people staying at the Palace have reported screams coming from the Haunted Gallery, and many people have reported that the room 'doesn't feel right'. It is believed that Catherine was dragged back to her rooms through the gallery after she was sentenced to execution for treason in 1541.
Hampton Court is easy to get to - take the train from Waterloo! Hampton Court is the last stop, so when the train doesn't move any more, get off and start your adventure!
Check out http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/ for more info."
- Kris
* Photo by Fred Dawson, used under Creative Commons.
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