Henry's Big House
On a beautiful winters day we traveled to Hampton Court Palace via Waterloo Station, South Western Railway and Bus.
The Palace was occupied first by Henry VIII with his first wife, Anne Boleyn, as a 'pleasure palace' away from London where he and the court could indulge. All of his wives stayed here and a tour of the Palace reveals much about Henry's reign and wives as well as the Tudor and Georgian dynasties. One of the scant remainders of his first wife Anne is found in an inscription on the wood panels inside the Great banquet hall.
The gardens of the Palace are extensive and reminded us a little of Versailles but we especially enjoyed the enormous kitchen areas where an army of workers prepared up to 21 courses for the frequent banquets. A match was in progress at the famous tennis courts where Henry VII , Elizabeth 1 and many others have played and this original form of the game seemed like a mix of squash and tennis to me. The club associated with the court is ~500 so the game is still thriving.
On the way back to our apartment in Cricklewood we stopped by Trafalgar square which was teeming with people and found refuge in St Martins of the Fields. This church has superb acoustics and is a renowned venue for music recitals. We happened upon a choral rehearsal for Handel's Messiah - a special blessing.
The Palace was occupied first by Henry VIII with his first wife, Anne Boleyn, as a 'pleasure palace' away from London where he and the court could indulge. All of his wives stayed here and a tour of the Palace reveals much about Henry's reign and wives as well as the Tudor and Georgian dynasties. One of the scant remainders of his first wife Anne is found in an inscription on the wood panels inside the Great banquet hall.
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| H&A inscription centre panel |
The gardens of the Palace are extensive and reminded us a little of Versailles but we especially enjoyed the enormous kitchen areas where an army of workers prepared up to 21 courses for the frequent banquets. A match was in progress at the famous tennis courts where Henry VII , Elizabeth 1 and many others have played and this original form of the game seemed like a mix of squash and tennis to me. The club associated with the court is ~500 so the game is still thriving.
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| Dinner Menu for Henry VIII |
On the way back to our apartment in Cricklewood we stopped by Trafalgar square which was teeming with people and found refuge in St Martins of the Fields. This church has superb acoustics and is a renowned venue for music recitals. We happened upon a choral rehearsal for Handel's Messiah - a special blessing.
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