HAMPTON COURT PALACE ADDRESS: EAST MOSLEY SURREY KT8 9AU phone: 0870 752 7777 nearest train station: Hampton Court 0.3 miles (0.5 km)

500 years of royal history from Henry VIII to George II. Set in sixty acres of gardens visitors are taken back through the centuries to experience the Palace as it was when royalty was in residence.
The earliest history dates from 1236 when the the first buildings at Hampton Court Palace was under the ownership of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. Further constructions were added during the 15th century.
In 1514 of the Knights Hospitallers sold the lease to Thomas, Cardinal, Wolsey, future Lord Chancellor of England. Under Wolsey further major building work took place. Base Court, the outer courtyard, is one of the surviving buildings dating back to this time.
In 1528 ownership fell to the King Henry VIII who proceeded with further construction which finished in 1540. Hampton Court was just one of the Kings 60 houses and said to be his 4th favourite.
In 1660 Charles II built a home for at the south-east corner of the palace for his mistress, Lady Castlemaine. Sigificant because the style was so different to what had gone before.
In 1689 William III commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild Hampton Court. After the King died in 1702 it was left to his sister-in-law Queen Anne to complete the works.
In 1796 James Wyatt, Surveyor of the King's Works, began some restoration work which brought back some of the hidden glory from the Tudor period. Further restoration work took place in the 1830’s bringing back more of the splendour of the Tudor times.
Extensive work was again carried out between 1875 and 1900.
Today Hampton Court Palace contains an important part of the largest private collection of art in the world, the Royal Collection. The palace has so much for to offer for the visitor including an annual flower show, a huge maze dating back to 1689 and covering over 60 acres, constantly changing tours and exhibitions, state apartments, original a insight into life during historic times including the influential Tudor period.

Opening hours:
March to 26 October
Tuesday - Sunday    09.30 - 18.00
Monday                  10.15 - 18.00

27 October to Mid March Tuesday - Sunday                   09.30 - 16.30
Monday                   10.15 - 16.30

website: www.hrp.org.uk

There are charges for this attraction