⭐ Highlights
Tudor Kitchens
Feeds a 1,000-strong courtBuilt for Cardinal Wolsey c.1515 and expanded by Henry VIII, the kitchens produced up to 800 meals a day.
📍 Base Court, service range
Great Hall
Hammerbeam roof and tapestriesCompleted in the 1530s, Henry VIII’s hall hosted banquets under a soaring timber roof with glittering tapestries.
📍 Tudor State Apartments
Astronomical Clock
1540s Tudor timepieceInstalled in 1540, the clock shows hour, date, moon phases and high tide at London Bridge on a 15-foot dial.
📍 Clock Court
Baroque Apartments
Wren’s grand redesignIn the late 1600s Sir Christopher Wren transformed parts of the palace for William III and Mary II in French-inspired style.
📍 Fountain Court
The Maze
Britain’s oldest hedge mazePlanted around 1690 for William III, this yew labyrinth covers about a third of an acre.
📍 North of the Wilderness
Opening Hours
Admissions
🤓 Fun Facts
Cardinal Wolsey built Hampton Court from about 1515; Henry VIII took it over in 1529.
The Tudor kitchens could roast whole sides of beef on multi-spit fireplaces for court banquets.
The astronomical clock (1540) also predicts high tide times for the Thames at London Bridge.
Sir Christopher Wren redesigned Fountain Court in the 1680s-1690s for William and Mary.
Hampton Court Maze dates to c.1690 and is likely the most famous hedge maze in Britain.
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