Hampton Court Palace, an afternoon near London

This is one of the suggested on-your-own-time activities for London. It's actually two palaces, the one in the picture above is the one that was inhabited most notably by Henry VIII. It takes about 40 minutes from London, the train runs from Waterloo Station, and it's a short walk (just across the Thames river) from the train station. The grounds are very impressive, as are the castles' interiors, and the feeling of Henry VIII's onetime presence here is formidable.The front gate, not pictured, is where I took the picture on our website of the oxlike gargoyle holding the shield of the Tudor rose. A few comments about the grounds: they are extensive, there is a rose garden (that really smells like a rose garden) and a maze (the maze has an additional entrance fee). There is also a horse drawn tram ride that I don't recommend because the route is about one mile, in a little circle. It's not meant to show you the grounds, only to get you off of your feet for about 10 minutes. The horses ARE beautiful!


The photo above would be "the back yard." There are gum drop shaped yew trees as you can see in the park-like formal garden. They are old and fairly remarkable for the distinctive character they give the place. There are perennial borders (the longest one in England, we were told), and some annual and large formal beds geometricrically laid out in front of the 17th century castle. It makes for a good picnic spot so pack a sandwich and a drink in you bag, and a mat to sit on?  Well, there are benches, too, but not too many.

The other palace, commissioned by King William III (r 1689-1702) for himself and the queen,  Mary II, was built by Sir Chrisopher Wren. It faces the river Thames, and amazingly, you can't even see this facade (below) from the entrance on the broad avenue leading up to Henry VIII's palace.

BTW, There is a significant discount (ca $3.00+) when you buy your ticket on the Web. The link is here.