Hampton Court Palace (at 500) - another day out

2015 sees Hampton Court Palace celebrating 500 years, most of it as a Royal Palace and there are special events laid on to mark the occasion.

 the sweeping walk way from the ticket office to the main entrance

 statues everywhere

 to the side of the main entrance

 above the main gateway into the Palace

the impressive main entrance

 inside the main entrance into the Base Court

 from the main entrance gateway

 the Astronomical Clock, giving the inner courtyard it's name, Clock Court

 there are various mini-tours you can take within the Palace, depending on how long you have for your visit. These tapestries are in Henry VIII's Great Hall

 and amazing stained glass windows

 the Georgian Apartments occupied by George I (1714-1727 George II (1727- 1760)

 royal bedchamber - Queen Caroline (wife of George II)

 another royal bedchamber

 William III (1689-1702) staircase

 Henry VIII family tree

 amazing that you can take photographs anywhere (except in the Chapel Royal)

 William III's Guard Chamber, the walls all lined with weapons

 the King's Presence Chamber

 long long corridors

 outside the Chapel Royal

 courtway behind Henry's Kitchens

 Henry's wine cellar

 the food may be props, but the fire was real, and hot!  the Spit Boy (in the red trousers) encouraged the kids to have a go at turning the handle

 narrow little courtyards and walkways

you need to keep looking up, you never know what you'll see
love this lion on the chimney.

 the Time Plays - short pieces of entertainment take place in various places throughout the day, from different times in the Palace's history.
Here, in the Great Watching Chamber, the King (Henry) rehearses a new song. (I missed most of this one!)

 and later, in the Great Hall, Shakespeare and his King's Players are rehearsing a scene from a new play called Macbeth...it's 1606

 this is Shakespeare in the black...

it was very funny!

As you can see, a big crowd gathers...

 Decided it was time I saw some of the gardens..
this is the Great Fountain Garden, with the rows of yew trees dating back hundreds of years.
The Great Fountain Garden was originally laid out in 1689

I loved this garden 5 years ago when I last went, and still love it today.

 running along the sides of the Palace, the Broad Walk is bordered by what is apparently the longest herbaceous border in the country - it's certainly beautiful!

 round the edges of the Fountain Garden, are formal beds, a few different designs, repeated round the whole garden.

 the Privy Garden, on a site first laid out by Henry VII but this version was restored in 1995, from William III's 1701 garden..

repeating patterns, with a central fountain

 and statues

William's wife Mary, created a garden too

 there are also a series of Pond Gardens, sunken gardens - this is a  beauty!

  

 this one not quite so pretty right now, in my mind.









Hampton Court is also home to the largest Vine in the world, was planted in 1768 for George III and is still growing strong!

 the Rose Garden is on the site of Henry VIII's Tiltyard Gardens - site of jousting and tournaments

 and of course, more statues

 the Vegetable Garden

 beautiful flowers

 teaming with wildlife

 I'm finishing with some amazing chimneys

 they all look slightly different..

 and lamp posts

 except of course I couldn't finish - these are on the walk back to the train station

Hampton Court bridge..


that's it, folks!! thanks for looking