Wednesday 19 May 2010

Hampton Court Palace

Come visit with me!

There were several tours on audio- we took the Henry VIII's kitchen tour first.
the kitchens often fed up to 600 guests!!! And serving meat showed how wealthy a King was and Henry VIII was out to impress!
This was one of the stew corners- where huge couldrons ccoked soup or stew!



A clerk recorded all the meals that went to the dining hall and everything that came back- the incredible behind scenes was the accouting and the consumption of so much food and wine.  The pewter platters were counted as all the utensils in service- a mammoth task.
The impressive apartment rooms of Henry VIII.
The Tapestries on the walls.

The gardens were fabulous!


And the 250 year old grape vine.

Can this be the King himself?

4 comments:

Claire said...

I loved Hampton Palace. The old indoor tennis court, those amazing gardens. And the sheer size of the place.

nattyj said...

Oh the gardens! The parterre gardens! Studied at Uni & so amaaaaazzzzing.

Life's a poem said...

we didn't get to see everything outside- it took awhile to get there, so didn't see the summer banquet house or the tennis courts or tilting yards...but got through most things... this seems to be typical of most places- there is just so much to see. Bought a small booklet about grace and favour occupants of the palace- that's more like the social history that one expects to discover in a place like this...

tjoyy said...

wow those gardens - just cant believe they are real