Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is two palaces in one: Tudor drama and Baroque showpiece, joined beside the Thames. Explore Wolsey's and Henry VIII's vast kitchens and Great Hall, where tapestries glint under a hammerbeam roof. Cross to Wren's Fountain Court for William and Mary's airy, French-tinged apartments. Outside, formal gardens stretch to the river; the famous yew Maze still confounds. Don't miss the astronomical clock in Clock Court-its gilded dial tracks tides as well as hours. Audio routes keep the stories clear for all ages. Plan a half-day: palace first, picnic or café, then gardens and Maze. Trains from Waterloo make it easy; arrive early in summer for cooler rooms and lighter crowds.
Opening Hours
Admissions
What's not to miss inside?
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
Inspire your Friends
- 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.
