Group Leisure & Travel readers were given a special familiarisation at Hampton Court Palace in Surrey for a day of history, intrigue and wonder.
“This was once the most important courtyard in England,” explains Errol Clayton, one of the palace hosts, the sun beaming down in the Clock Court for our jam-packed Reader Club visit.
Pointing out the 241 decorative brick chimneys, Clayton tells us: “During Cardinal Thomas Wolsey’s time, this was the place to be. He wanted you to know there was no expense spared – he built the Great Gatehouse, like a cathedral of red brick, as well as the courtyards”.
“Hampton Court Palace has so much to offer, not only the Palace but the lovely gardens. You feel the history as soon as you enter the palace with friendly and knowledgeable staff around to answer any of your questions.”
Gordon Hadden, B&B Group Leisure
500 years of remarkable history
A palace of two halves, our entrance to Hampton Court set the scene for the grandeur and impressive architecture that we were to experience. Accompanying a range of group travel organisers, I was captivated by our host’s introduction.
He gave us a taster of the palace’s incredible history, from Wolsey’s Tudor Palace in the early 16th century to the home of Henry VIII and all the way through to William III and Mary II’s reign and Christopher Wren’s modern additions.
Clayton said: “If you’ve seen the documentaries, if you’ve watched Lucy Worsley and Tracey Borman, they will tell you this is a 500-year-old palace and indeed it is, but it goes way back to the Romans. Then after the Romans, it goes to the Knights Hospitallers. You’ve probably heard of their cousins, the Knights Templar.”
After a riveting introduction, our group were then able to explore the palace at their own pace, with one of the informative and entertaining audio guides - some heading to the spectacular Fountain Court, others starting with Henry VIII’s Apartments.
There is so much to see, even if you have visited several times before, so we crammed in what we could, giving GTOs plenty of inspiration for bringing their groups back on future visits.
“I will definitely be booking a trip for next April with my group. The guide for the afternoon tour of the garden was great fun and she made the historical insights amusing and brought the gardens to life.”
Ann Elms, Guildford U3A
Behind the scenes: audio tour of filming location highlights
I opted for the Film and TV Location audio tour which takes you on a fascinating walk through 100 years of film-making at the palace, from iconic Bridgerton scenes through to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. I was guided around several key filming locations, and you’re even shown images on the guide itself, so you can really see the scenes come to life. There are lots of quirky snippets of information, such as the historic feature at Hampton Court Palace that brings filming to a halt if there’s a certain type of collection (I won’t spoil the surprise).
“It is great to have prior knowledge of the palace so that I can advise and help our members with first-hand knowledge.”
Susan Bluck, Ely & District U3A
After enjoying lunch in the Tiltyard Café, which has a separate area for groups (depending on size) and a look at a sample Queen Charlotte Afternoon Tea Box (which groups can book during their visit), we set off on a tour of the gardens and grounds.
60 acres of stunning gardens to explore
Once the playground of kings and queens, the gardens equal the palace’s fascinating history, from Thomas Wolsey’s picturesque Knot Gardens to William and Mary’s baroque gardens and Henry VIII’s famous orchards.
We learnt about how architects tried to get the ‘perfect’ view of the River Thames from the palace’s bedroom window, and the building of the royal boathouse and entrance reserved for the royal family, as well as the influence of chief gardener ‘Capability’ Brown who was appointed by King George III.
We wandered past the most striking displays of tulips, which seemed to appear around every corner. Over the last three years, more than a million tulips have been planted around Hampton Court Palace to celebrate the legacy of Mary II, known as the ‘Queen of the Gardens’ as part of the annual Tulip Festival.
“We had a wonderful day, with so much to see and do. It was so enjoyable and the icing on the cake was Ann and her guided tour of the gardens, a real wow factor to finish the day. Thank you to everyone and can’t wait to share the experience with my group.”
Sylvia Saxon, Saxon Group Travel
Did you know Hampton Court Palace is home to the largest grape vine in the world? Planted under the watch of ‘Capability’ Brown, the vine measures at four metres around the base with the longest ‘rod’ 36.5 metres – it was recognised with a Guinness World Record in 2005. Our group enjoyed seeing the grape vine as well as enjoying the beautiful fragrant wisteria in the gardens.
Hampton Court Palace offers special rates to groups of 15 or more and private tours are available, either to take in the highlights of the palace’s history or on special themes such as Ghost Stories and Salacious Secrets or Origins of the Baroque Palace.
For group and travel trade enquiries email groupsandtraveltrade@hrp.org.uk.
Visit www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace for more information.
