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Hampton Court Palace 
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Hampton Court Palace tel: 0208-781-9500 Area: Surrey |
 Show Large Panorama (744 x 496 = 1Mb) Show Medium Panorama (528 x 352 = 300k) Show Small Panorama (360 x 240 = 90k) |
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| Visitor Information | www.hrp.org.uk -- email: | |||||||||||
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Hampton Court Palace |
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| Opening Days and Hours | ||||||||||||
Wilderness, Tiltyard & Rose Garden: all year; 7am - dusk; daily Summer until 7pm, Winter - 6pm |
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| Parties
/ Coaches: Yes |
Groups
/ Coaches need Appointment: Yes |
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House
Open for Viewing: Yes |
National
Garden Scheme days: No |
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| Best
Times of Year to Visit: |
To
see: |
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| Admission Prices | ||||||||||||
| Gardens 21st Mar - 30th Sept: Adults £4.60; Children £2.50; Concessions £4; Family (2 Adults + 3 Children) £13.50. approx. 10% discount for online booking, see own website Maze only: Adults £3.50; Children £2.50, Family £10. Joint Maze & Gardens: Adults £7; Children £3.50. Family £20. Palace & Gardens: Adult £13.30; Child £6.65; Concession £11.30; Family £37. Garden Season tickets: Adult £20; Child £9; Concession £12; Family £50. Green Car Park £.050 per hour Palace Car Park - Pay on Foot £3.50 |
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| Onsite Facilities | ||||||||||||
| Parking:
Yes Lavatories: Yes Disabled Access: Yes |
Shop:
Yes Plants for Sale: Yes Lunches: Yes |
Teas:
Yes Light Refreshment: Yes Picnics: Yes |
Dogs
Allowed: No On Lead only: No Special Events: Yes |
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| Other
Facilities: Hampton Court Flower Show; 4th - 9th July. Many other events & exhibitions - see website |
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| Garden Features | ||||||||||||
| English Heritage Garden Grade: I | ||||||||||||
| National Collection: | ||||||||||||
| Description of Garden | Designer:
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| The gardens were laid out by William III in the then fashionable scheme of avenues radiating from the house, with extensive parterres on the south and east sides. A plan of 1702 has been exactly reproduced for the restoration of the great Privy Garden on the South side of the Palace, complementing Wren's beautiful facade. The planting, with widely spaced roses and other plants in slightly raised beds, is exactly as it would have been in that era. Next to it is the (comparatively) small Pond Garden with its bedding plants making a splash of colour. Further on is the world's oldest known vine - the Great Vine - actually 'Black Hamburgh' - which was planted in 1768 on the advice of Capability Brown; it produces 500-700lbs of grapes each year. On the other side of the Privy Garden lies the huge formal East Garden with its central feature of the Long Water cutting right through the deer park. William III laid out the garden at the palace end of the long water as a parterre with twelve marble fountains. Later, in 1710, Queen Anne added the semi-circular canals. On the other side of the palace are the wilderness gardens, covering a considerable area, spread with naturalised daffodils in spring. The famous Hampton Court Maze, laid out in 1691, is in this part of the gardens. It covers about one third of an acre and has yew hedges totalling nearly half a mile. Other areas in the Wilderness also have considerable horticultural interest, including the rose garden, a herbaceous garden, and walls covered with climbing plants. This is a marvellous and spectacular garden and will repay repeated visits at every season. |
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| History of Garden | ||||||||||||
| The Palace dates from about 1514 and was built by Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII's Chancellor, who acquired it from the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem who had owned the site from the 13th century. But the Renaissance palace - the first in England - that he built was so magnificent that when Wolsey fell from grace in 1525 he was forced to surrender it to the King, who reconstructed it so completely that almost nothing remains of Wolsey's building despite the fact that the King was a regular visitor, with his only son Edward being actually born there. The palace continued in royal usage until the execution of Charles I, who had been imprisoned there for three months in 1647. Cromwell used the Palace at weekends but after the Restoration Charles II was seldom there, though he built lodgings for his mistress there. William III wanted the Palace completely rebuilt and Sir Christopher Wren submitted plans for this but in the event had to be content with re-building the royal apartments on the South and East sides of the Palace. Jean Tijou, who designed the screen in St. Paul's Cathedral, created the Screen named after him in the south end of the garden. The interiors were also entirely refitted, the total cost of the work reaching £130,000 in William's reign, an immense sum. George I occasionally visited the Palace and George II and his wife Queen Caroline stayed there regularly, redecorating and re-furbishing the Queen's Apartments and creating the Cumberland Suite of rooms for their son. Royal visits ceased in 1737 though the Palace and the gardens were well looked after, the latter by 'Capability' Brown who was on the staff there. Continual restoration took place and in 1838 Queen Victoria opened the Palace and gardens to the public and by 1850 over 180,00 people a year were visiting it. A great fire in 1986 damaged much of the King's Apartments but restoration was complete by 1995. | ||||||||||||
| Nearby Surrey Hotels, Facilities & Amenities | ||||||||||||
| Hotels
& Accommodation: |
Restaurants: |
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| Inns & Pubs: Good pubs along river |
Villages / Towns
/ Sightseeing: |
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  - Surrey |
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*Information
Updates
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0344_HamptonCt.jpg - Hampton Court Palace (Surrey)
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