Hampton Court palace
Hampton Court gardens and palace lie around 20 kilometres south west of London. It is near Kingston upon Thames and is within the borders of the borough of Richmond upon Thames. There has been a substantial building on this site since at least the early 1400s, and a Hampton Manor was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086.
The Tudor era at the Palace
The Tudor part of Hampton Court Palace was constructed in the style of Cardinal Wolsey in the early 1500s. Wolsey had been granted a 95-year lease on the property in 1515. Tudor palace architecture is heavily influenced by perpendicular Gothic architecture. In the early 1500s, the influence of Italian craftsmen and architects brought a strong renaissance influence to architecture. This can be seen in the terracotta roundels by Florentine sculptor Giovanni da Maiano in 1521. These roundels contain the busts of eleven Roman emperors.
In the mid 1520s, King Henry VIII had taken a liking to the property and was also finding Cardinal Wolsey unable to get his divorce approved by the pope. As a result of this, Wolsey lost his lands. In 1525, the lease was transferred to the King. Henry VIII was granted a freehold of the property in 1531.
The Architect, Sir Christopher Wren.
After the death of King Henry VIII, William of Orange and his wife Queen Mary made substantial changes to the building. These changes were designed by famous architect Christopher Wren.
Wren was commissioned to remodel and extend Hampton Court Palace with a new courtyard and apartments for the King and Queen. The great fountain garden was created by architect Daniel Marot, who had been brought over from Het Loo. This remodelling of the garden led to much more French and Dutch influence in the gardens.
The gardens become a public space.
After the time of William and Mary, the palace fell out of use as a royal palace and eventually the gardens were made open to the public by Queen Victoria in 1838.
Hampton Court Gardens
Hampton Court Palace gardens currently cover over 24 hectares along the banks of the Thames. Every year, the Royal Horticultural Society holds a flower festival in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. The gardens themselves are an attraction for garden lovers from around the world. The gardens include a Dutch garden, a yew tree maze with over 1000 trees, and a spectacular fountain.
Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
The Royal Horticultural Society runs an annual garden festival on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace in early July. As well as a floral marquee and plant village, there are show, lifestyle and global impact gardens from inspiring garden designers and landscapers. As with the Chelsea Flower Show, this show is a favorite amongst garden lovers as well as residential and commercial landscapers.
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