Hampton Court Palace

Thursday the 25th, we took a train from Waterloo to Hampton Court to check out the Palace for class. Home of the infamous Henry VIII (and his six wives), as well as many other royals, this grand estate boasts in it's massive grounds and furnished rooms.

We visited various sections of the palace grounds, including Henry VIII's Kitchens. A huge hall was constructed with wood burning fireplaces for roasting meats, baking breads, and cooking stews. Over 600 people (those who were members of the court) were fed twice a day, so you might imagine the sort of activity that took place in this 230-year-old hall. Off to the side of the hall were two "offices." One dealt with the ordering/storing these massive amounts of food and the other with organizing, cleaning, and ordering more pewter dishes. Each piece of pewter was hand-made, and there were probably close to a hundred pieces on display. It was really interesting to hear about something that we wouldn't normally think about.

Often in the palace's squares, we'd see live actors. It reminded me a lot of the Mystic Seaport - realistic costumes and accents, maintaining character. It was really cool to see, and Sir Thomas Seamore even taught us a dance (pictured above on the left).

 We explored the gardens, grounds, and ponds as well. It was really pretty and my very first peek of Spring flowers. All in all, it was a really great time; the audio guide that we used was extremely helpful as well. It was my first time using one, but it was very informative.

The girls: Anna, Steph, and Mallory.