Hampton Court UK, London resort
Rating: 8,1/10 (3074 votes)  In the southwestern part of"Greater London", in the area of the outskirts of Richmond-on-Thames, there is an old country residence of the monarchs of Great Britain - Hampton Court. The residence is located in a picturesque location near the Thames, fields and forests. From the center of the capital to these places about 30 minutes by train.
Hampton Court is considered an outstanding monument of the Tudor-Renaissance era. In the course of numerous reconstructions of the palace, architectural styles were mixed, thanks to which the building became unusual and romantically attractive.
The palace was founded by Cardinal Wolsey in 1514. He soon donated the building to King Henry VIII. From the cardinal, the palace inherited elements of the layout of the Italian Renaissance palazzo, while the king was inspired by the gloomy medieval architecture. For the next century and a half, Hampton Court was in great demand among the English royal families. In the 17th century, the residence was again rebuilt by King William III, who decided to renovate it in Baroque fashion. The last crawler to live at Hampton Court was George II, and by the 19th century the building had fallen into disrepair. However, the palace was soon renovated and Queen Victoria allowed the general public to visit it.
Now the palace is a building made of red brick and white stone. A 16th century bridge leads to its gates. On the ground floor of the residence is the Art Gallery. Portraits of the"beauties of the Hampton Court" - beautiful young ladies of the Shakespearean era, are of great interest in it. Also in the gallery there are works by Raphael himself, made as samples of jewelry for the Sistine Chapel. They depict gospel stories.
On the second floor there are beautifully decorated ceremonial rooms, reception rooms, living rooms, offices, dining rooms, bedrooms. The royal chambers contain a large collection of tapestries. In the Lower Courtyard, which has well preserved its true appearance, there is a clock from the 16th century, showing not only the time, but also the month, the phases of the moon, the calculation of days from the beginning of the year and the time when the water rises near London Bridge.
The Clock Court has the White Hall, a room with oak ceilings and rich decorations that can be compared to the front door of Westminster Hall.
While touring the palace, you can take part in a banquet hosted by local chefs as it was during the era of kings. And, of course, it is worth visiting the garden, which attracts 300 thousand visitors annually with its living labyrinth. The hedge maze is designed in such a way that it is impossible to get out of it without the help of an escort. The park itself is modeled after the garden at Versailles. It is a wonderful place to walk among huge walnut trees and flowers.
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