Hampton Court

In this special review we take a quick look at Hampton Court Palace, the home of the famous RHS Flower Show.

Hampton Court Palace has been home to some of Britain’s most famous kings and queens, and for almost 200 years was the focus for court life and politics.

The palace, with its 600 acres of parkland and 60 acres of formal gardens, is open to visitors throughout the year and regularly holds special events, such as Lantern Lit Tours (3 November–22 December) and All the King’s Creatures (19–27 February).

For the last 10 years, Hampton Court Palace has been home to the famous RHS Flower Show. In 1999 the show attracted over 200,000 visitors.

Did you know?

- 1.3m people visit Hampton Court Palace gardens each year
- Hampton Court Palace maze was originally planted in 1690 and consists of half a mile of paths and takes, on average, 20 minutes to reach the centre
- The medieval English oak in Home Park is said to be 1,000 years old
- The Great Vine is the oldest vine in the world and is reputed to have been planted by Capability Brown in 1768
- 250,000 flowering bulbs are planted in the gardens each year

With its 500 years of royal history Hampton Court Palace has something to offer everyone. Set in sixty acres of world famous gardens the Palace is a living tapestry of history from Henry VIII to George II. From the elegance of the recently restored eighteenth century Privy Garden to the domestic reality of the Tudor Kitchens visitors are taken back through the centuries to experience the Palace as it was when royalty was in residence. Costumed guides and audio tours provide inside information on the life in the royal households and free family trails encourage a closer look at the Palace, with the chance of a prize at the end. In the summer months horse-drawn carriages offer a sedate trip around the stunning gardens.

Visit the Historic Royal Palaces web site http://www.hrp.org.uk/index2.htm for detailed information on Hampton court Palace and other Historic British Royal Palaces

The Royal Tennis Court and Hampton Court Palace.
Originally the court was built by Henry VIII in about 1530. As a young, handsome, athletic man Henry was passionately addicted to sport, and particularly to tennis. Legend has it that he heard of the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn as he played tennis at Hampton Court Palace.

Visit the web site of Realtennis to find out more about the Hampton court and the roots of Tennis at http://www.realtennis.gbrit.com/