Hampton Court & Richmond upon Thames
HAMPTON COURT & ROYAL RICHMOND
 
In Hampton Court "dead kings and queens
walk again and dead lips ask,
'what of the isles of England and her sea?'
till whispers fill the tower of memory"
 

There are any number of ways to "do" Hampton Court, but this is the best. In the same way that tailored is superior to off-the-peg. Because with Hampton Court "content" – Great Hall, Haunted Gallery, State Rooms, Private Apartments, Maze – takes care of itself. What doesn't take care of itself is "presentation". And presentation makes all the difference – the difference between something that seamless and timeless and unforgettable as opposed to theme-parky. And that's why we go by boat from Richmond. Just as Henry VIII did. It's a living act of "restoration" – because Hampton Court is a riverside palace and was meant to be approached by water. It makes for a golden day – stimulating and peaceful, beautiful and companionable.

We begin at Richmond, the prettiest Thameside village of them all. The picturesque old streets and buildings here are the very stuff of history: Maids of Honour Row, Old Palace Yard, Trumpeters Court, the old Tudor Gatehouse. Then it's on to Hampton Court Palace. Like Henry VIII, we travel by boat. (We'll get a sandwich from the best sandwich shop in Richmond and picnic on board!) Upstream, a final loop of the Thames brings us along the watermeadows of our best loved national monument.

"It typifies the grand alliance of history and architecture more than any building in England." And so the stage is set for our afternoon walk, a tour of the palace and its precincts, everything from Henry VIII's Real Tennis Court and the Maze and the Haunted Gallery to the State Rooms and Great Hall and Private Apartments. (N.B., you'll save yourself a lot of money if you start your journey by getting a 6-Zone Travel Card: it'll cover your fares to Richmond and back from Hampton Court...and of course it'll also be good for any other travel you undertake in the London area for the rest of the day.)

 In the Summer 2013 London Walks programme
we go to Royal Richmond & Hampton Court on

Monday, May 20

Monday, June 17

Monday, July 1

Monday, July 29

Monday, August 12

Monday, September 9

To go on the Richmond & Hampton Court trip meet the guide – Chris or Hilary –
at 9.30 am by the main ticket office (it's opposite Platform 16) of
Waterloo Railway  Station.
 
6-Zone Travel Card recommended.

 £26
 
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