Hampton Court Palace Half Day Private Tour

Started in 1515, by Cardinal Wolsey, Hampton Court Palace is a wonderful example of both Tudor and Baroque styles of architecture. After Wolsey's fall from grace, the palace was handed to Henry Vlll who carried out some lavish improvements that can still be seen today. It is home to the finest Tudor great hall in the country and the Tudor kitchens are well worth seeing. We will tour through the Tudor part of the Palace and the Royal Chapel visiting the 3 courtyards, where we will see the great astronomical clock that Henry VIII had installed in 1540, and the rest of the Tudor palace. We will then visit the newer section of the palace built for William and Mary by one of Britain's greatest architects, Sir Christopher Wren. Here we see the state apartments of William III along with the private rooms used by him. The gardens at Hampton Court should not be missed. As well as the vast formal gardens there is the Hampton Court Maze was planted sometime between 1689 and 1695 for William III.