When we stayed at Hampton Court mooring 4 weeks ago I didn't manage to visit the palace, (link to the gardens above) so as we had time to spare we decided revisit. Oh, what a wonderful day I had wandering about the palace in a world of my own!
The Tudors
The brochure said that it was the 8th August 1540 and King Henry VIII (reigned 1509-1547) has just divorced Anne of Cleves (his 4th wife) ...
... this chap must have already heard the good news that the King had remarried!
Visitors today had to enter the palace via the tradesman's entrance as the main route at Base Court was being transformed into a theatre for annual festival of music...
In Master Carpenter's Court where all the deliveries arrived, the Yeoman of the Guard strode past me in rather a hurry .. not sure if something is amiss ...
I started my tour with King Henry's kitchens .. Fish Court - this was their equivalent of a 'fridge, the walls are build high to keep out the sun keeping the temperature here very cool. All the fresh product was stored here until used, once the stores were empty the kings court moved to another palace until restocking took place!
It must have been unbearably hot in here .. there are 5 burners here - rather like a modern day BBQ - in the hole is a grill onto which charcoal is burned and the arches under the bench allow the air to keep it burning ...
... and by removing or adding hot charcoal the heat can be controlled and by adding or removing the trivet the pot will come to boil much quicker.
... you can see that the original building has been altered many times in the past ...
... this was the best place to be today as it was quite cool outside and a bit drizzly too ...
... I wish this table could speak!
The Pewter store - not the original pieces I may add ...
... the wine cellar with its most impressive ceiling ...
... into Chapel Court Gardens similar to one Henry VIII created in the 1530's enclosed by low rails in the Tudor colours of green and white ...
... back to Base Court and the drunkards at the fountain! ...
... and into the Great Hall with its hammer-beam roof where up to 600 people would eat in two sittings twice a day and on special occasions candelabra were strung across on wires and the lights from hundreds of candles transformed the hall into a magical setting for a fantastic court masque ...
... it has lovely stained glass windows ...
... and not so lovely (in my opinion) hunting trophies ...
... that's King Henry in the middle ...
... and into the Great Watching Chamber where members of the Yeoman of the Guards were stationed ...
... to 'watch' and control access to the King's apartments beyond ...
... all the ceiling were breathtaking but this was the best one!
Hello, whose this? She obligingly posed for me to take a picture and then hurried off muttering that she had ' things to do on this important day!'
I overheard this 'lady' remonstrating the guard for being 'familiar' to her, couldn't he see that she was wearing the jewelled trapping of his queen? This of course is Catherine Howard and today was her wedding day (Henry's 5th wife - she had previously been one of his ladies-in-waiting).
Henry VIII's astronomical clock has watched over this courtyard for almost 500 years and incorporates a great bell inherited from the late-medieval manor house that once stood on this site.
King Henry VIII enters Clock Court with Thomas Culpeper his master of the bedchamber to ...
... meet his subjects and tell them his news
Queen Catherine (although she was never crowned) and her sister Margaret have invited lady visitors to meet with them to discuss how she may ensure that she provides her King with a male heir as the Howard family were now 'in shame' being first, but was actually more interested in talking about previous 'friendships' with Henry Mannox her music teacher and Francis Dereham a gentleman usher, as well as her re-aquantance with her distant cousin Thomas Culpeper!
One of the King's guards inform Catherine that his highness requires her presence in the Privy Chamber - at once ... Catherine wonders why as ladies are not permitted to enter the chamber ...
... we arrive in the Kings presence ...
... in the Privy Chamber where she is congratulated by visitors to the palace on her wedding. She asks his highness if she could tour his beautiful palace and suggests that Master Culpeper would be the ideal guide; the King agrees and Thomas Culpeper promises that he will take Catherine in every room!
Less that 2-years later Catherine was accused of treason and beheaded in 1542.
Less that 2-years later Catherine was accused of treason and beheaded in 1542.
The last Stuarts
King William III (reigned 1689-1702)
The Kings Staircase with magnificent murals ...
... by Antonio Verrio.
The King's Guard Chamber - the guards would have slept here ...
... a view through the window.
King William III (reigned 1689-1702)
The Triumph of Hercules, one of the many rich tapestries that hangs ...
... together with the canopy of the state in King William's Presence Chamber ...
... the shine from the silk use in these tapestries ...
... hanging in William III's apartments looked as bright as the day it was stitched!
King William III's Great Bedchamber; his inner sanctum. Access was controlled by the Groom of the Stool ...
... whose important job it was to accompany the king 'when he goeth to make water in his bedchamber'!
... another peek through the window at the formal gardens
The apartments below were built for Queen Mary II (reigned with William III 1689-94) and were abandoned, unfinished after her sudden death. Her sister Queen Anne (reigned 1702-14) decorated some of them for her consort, Prince George of Denmark. The rooms really only came to life with the arrival of the Hanovarians, the future George II and Queen Caroline (reigned 1727-37), who acted as regents. Each in turn left their mark.
Another elaborately decorated ceiling, this one on ...
... the Queen's Staircase designed by William Kent in 1734 for Queen Charlotte.
The ceiling in a small bedchamer within the Queens apartments ...
... and a view of the Great Fountain Garden from the window
Painted by Antonio Verrio around 1705 showing Queen Anne as Justice ...
Queen Mary II State Bedchamber - gives a snapshot of the Hanoverian Royal Family above the bed ...
... and Gallery which was planned for Queen Mary II and used by William III after she died; little has changed here since 1773
The Queen's Closet hung with embroidered panels
Fountain Court
The Georgians
George II in 1737 - the last season when both king and queen (Caroline) attended Hampton Court
The Wolsey Closet - part of the way into the Georgian apartments is this rare Tudor survival and was restored in 1889 and is linked to Wolsey by his Latin motto on the frieze (The Lord is my Judge). It apparently remains something of a puzzle as the ceiling and paintings on the panel are from Henry VIII time and may have come from another part of the palace.
Some of these rooms are less elaborately decorated ...
... but with intricate moulded ceilings ...
... The Private Drawing Room is laid out for tea and the card game 'quadrille'.
The locks on most of the doors throughout the palace are beautifully decorated and crafted
King George's study ...
... and Drawing Room - I like the way the pictures are hung on ropes from a rod and the intricate wooden carvings that frame the picture above the mantle with a musical theme
King William's Private Dining Room laid out for dessert; the pictures are of the ladies of Queen Mary's court by Kneller....
... and Bedchamber with its 'tester' (roof) hanging from the ceiling ...
... behind which is her Dressing Room and Bathroom; apparently she was the first of the royals within the palace to believe that 'washing' was good for you!
The Queen's private Dining Room with a naval theme in the pictures
... and her Private Oratory ...
... with its domed roof ...
... another lovely door lock - I think there are initials in the latice-work there but I can't make it out ...
... another look through the windows!
In 1700 Wren's workmen left these handprints in the wet plaster that was covered by the panelling in the Kings Private Drawing Room!
The Formal Gardens
The Privy Garden - a restoration of William III's garden of 1702 ...
... and a piece of the statuary there ...
... the gilded screen allows visitors to see a glimpse of the river
Built in 1568
An interesting tower with what looks like a crown atop it!
... wow what fantastic ...
... chimneys ... there are over 240 of these moulded chimneys decorating the palaces skyline. They are based on Tudor patterns but all today's chimneys are Victorian or later.
The Lower Orangery Garden
The Children's Garden
The Great Vine was planted in 1786 under direction from 'Capability' Brown ...
... a great picture of it's time!
William and Mary
Looking over the Great Fountain Garden
3rd quote down reads -
Women weding (?weeding) the Kyngs New Garden and at the mount at 2d (2pence) the day
100 roses at 4d the 100
Agnes Hutton for Gillavers, mynts and other swete flowers
From the accounts for the gardens at Hampton Court 1530s
Chocolate Court - completely enclosed on all four sides - a lovely peaceful area.
... and visitors still come by boat to see the palace!
On the way back to Rock n Roll we see a carved stone on the wall of one of the palaces outer perimeter buildings ...
... marking the flood level in November 1894 - we reckoned that the river must have risen approximately 10-11 feet ...
... and on a building on Molesey lock side shows another marker for 1821- at least another 2 foot higher!
Altogether an absolutely fabulous day!
Gorgeous pictures, I would love to see the guard chamber if only to work out how the got the guns down in case of trouble ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe letters in the lock tracery look to me to be a couple of R's one reversed and a W with enough extra bits to make me suspect an M, so it's the William and Marey cypher as on the wall in the latter photo, but with a much more ornate style.
Note someone should complain about the state of the screws on that lock.