A Tudor Trip

My sister and her family were visiting from Edinburgh last week. Sheena’s children are learning about the Tudors at school so we went to Hampton Court Palace, where she and I spent many a happy day out with our family when we were little kids.

It’s funny what you remember from childhood isn’t it? Then as now, we especially loved the maze, and found our way to the middle

and the wonderful architecture and brickwork, some of if lovingly restored to the original

and the beautiful clock

in its beautiful tower

and Henry’s gloriously egocentric stained glass windows

Hunting animals was a big hit in Tudor times. It must have seemed quite tame compared to the punishments and grisly deaths that were meted out to humans! Hunting is certainly not my thing, but this display of horns is nonetheless very impressive to look at.

We remembered the big Yew tree on the green outside the cafe by the old jousting turret, and we remembered the fabulous kitchens. We also remembered the grace and favour homes at the back where, in our childhood naivety, we dreamed of one day living, and we remembered walking up the gravel path with the flower borders on one side

and the trees, sculpturally clipped into domes, by the fountain on the other, where last week we saw plenty of geese hanging around.

When I was a child it was free to visit the grounds and some of the palace including the kitchens and the chapel, but these days of course you have to pay for everything. Tickets are not cheap, but worth it.


Love a Tudor palace
Love Life
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