Visit Reports
Visit to Hampton Court - December 4th 2015
Our October lecturer was Linda Collins and she organised two tours for our visit to Hampton Court. 2015 marked 500 years of Hampton Court as a Palace. In that time Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII and George II have used the Palace as a home.
Anne Boleyn's Gate. This used to be much higher and very impressive, but became unsafe in the 18th century and was rebuilt lower.
4 of the decorative Tudor chimneys and the Tudor gatehouse and astronomical clock, made for Henry VIII in 1540. The sunny mild weather greatly enhanced the appearance of the architecture.
Henry VIII's Great Hall The room is spanned by a decorated hammer-beam roof; of special note are the large heavy tapestries telling the Story of Abraham. They were woven from wool,silk and some gilt-wrapped thread in 1540.
William III's State Apartments The grand staircase leads to the State Apartments via the Guard Chamber which displays a remarkable collection of weapons arranged on the walls in geometric designs. There is the official throne room, with the chair of state under its formal canopy and the spectacular Great Bedchamber. Every room had intricate wood carvings by Grinling Gibbons, a master-craftsman of the seventeenth century. We had amazing overviews of the immaculate gardens in the sun.
Williams III’s Private Apartments Downstairs the larger rooms are where William III really lived, where the doors open on to his Privy Garden. William’s private dining room is laid out as it would have been in 1700, towards the end of his life, when he sat surrounded by the famous paintings of Hampton Court Beauties. Also on display are the so-called Windsor Beauties by Sir Peter Lely, depicting the most beautiful ladies of the court of King Charles II, a generation before.
After our second tour, we had time to investigate other areas such as the kitchens and the Royal Chapel and the restored Cumberland Art Gallery with works from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Holbein, van Dyck and Canaletto. As an extra there was a BBC Festive Food Festival in the courtyards giving many opportunities to eat and drink as well as buy Christmas gifts.
I acknowledge a few pictures are taken from the Hampton Court web site and give many thanks to Richard Burn for
the excellent quality photos taken for this report.
Cynthia Hayhurst