Hampton Court

Fine homes abound in the lovely country of England, dotting the green and rather lush landscape. These often beautiful fine homes have a rich history, reaching back in time as it is discovered that generation upon generation has worked on making these homes a place worth visiting. Hampton Court is not an exception to this generalization, but it carries it to the extreme. Money, power, and love all are part of the history of the famous house located on the Thames in London.

To truly appreciate this house, I took a little jaunt with my fellow flatmates to the lovely grounds outside of London. We took a train out of London and enjoyed the privilege of seeing the beautiful green yard as we left the train and walked across the rivers Thames.

Hampton Court’s first important owner was Cardinal Wolsey. This famous Cardinal changed Hampton Court into one of England’s most significant great house of the early Tudor age from a simple medieval manor (Foyle, 128). Cardinal Wolsey was a very powerful man in King Henry VIII’s court, but because he refused to grant the King the divorce he wanted, he fell from power and Henry VIII moved into the palace. According to professor Talbot, at the time Wolsey famously said: “If I had served my God as diligently as I have served my King, he would not have deserted me in my old age.”

I was rather surprised at how little I saw that actually had Cardinal Wolsey’s mark on it. Of course he was the one who began Hampton Court’s story, so everyone else was able to mess with what he did. Of course Henry the VIII made sure that his mark on the house would never be forgotten.

Henry VIII lived with various wives in the impressive Hampton Court. Possibly the most exciting wife of his to live there was Catherine Howard, who is said to still haunt the corridors making it one of the most haunted places in England (Wiseman, 196). People have conducted serious and legitimate studies to determine whether or not the place is haunted, but of course the findings were rather inconclusive. I walked down the corridor and visited the rooms, but I felt nothing. This could be to my lack of belief in the ghost in the first place, but regardless, I felt nothing. Perhaps the fact that it was early morning and not the appropriate time of evening. I enjoyed the suns rays flittering through the chamber onto the Kings entrance to the palace chapel.

Henry VIII of course made Hampton Court his own by giving it his own touch. The place was under heavy construction between the years of 1529- 1537 (Thurley, 3). I thought the tapestries he purchased for the Great Hall were disappointing. Although they were faded and I had to take the audio tour’s word for the fact that they were woven with gold and silver thread, I did find it impressive that even though they were so old, they were still intact.

Henry VIII left his mark, but there were people after who still wanted to improve matters. Again according to Professor Talbot, William and Mary in the 1690s decided to expand giving the palace two distinct architectural influences. I may quote Dr. Talbot, but the audio tour at the Hampton Court said the same. The section designed by William and Mary was more conservative and private than Henry VIII.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Hampton Courts. Its lavish halls, and beautiful rose garden made for an wonderful and educational trip. It was fun to get lost in the maze and to wonder down a haunted corridor.

Foyle, Jonathan. “A Reconstruction of Thomas Wolsey’s Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace.” Architectural History, Vol. 45 (2002) : 128-158.

Thurley, Simon. “Henry VIII and the Building of Hampton Court: A Reconstruction of the Tudor Palace.” Architectural History, Vol. 31, (1988): 1-57.

Wiseman, Richard. “An investigation into alleged ’Hauntings’.” British Journal of Psychology, 94.2 (May 2003): 195-205.