Hampton Court
Link to the Wikepedia article
Link to further maze information
One of only two surviving palaces of Henry VIII, Hampton Court hasn't been used by the Royals since the 1800's, and is now a mecca for tourists. It is a bit of an architectural oddity, combining Tudor and Baroque. Typically there would be 600 or so people being housed and fed there every day. The only bathroom in the place was the royal one, so the conditions must have been pretty awful. The royal potty-chair was in a rather large room. It was a thigh-high square in wood and red velvet with a round hole in the top upon which the royal bum was plopped. Presumably the royal offering went down a series of tubes to the river. The kitchen was enormous, turning out roasts and breads in great volume. There was almost a complete lack of vegetables in the diet. Henry VIII turned into a complete porker with a 54 inch waist and probably had Type II diabetes. The Hampton Court Hedge Maze was a lot of fun. We started late in the day and were lucky to have solved it by the time dark arrived (see the above link). Otherwise we would have had to crash our way through the sides to gain our freedom.
Picture 1 of 22
Return to England 2003 Home Page
Return to Travels with Mike Home Page
