Hampton Court Palace

Built by Cardinal Wolsey in the early 16th century and later owned by King Henry VIII (1491-1547), Hampton Court Palace occupies a beautiful riverside site 23km (14 miles) southwest of London. The palace was once the centre of royal and political life in England, with many famous monarchs residing there between 1525 and 1737, including King Henry VIII, King William III and Queen Mary during the 17th century, and King George II and Queen Caroline in the 18th century. The palace has been associated with many important events in history: King Henry VIII spent his honeymoon in the palace with Anne Boleyn in 1533 and married his sixth wife Catherine Parr there in 1543, whilst King Charles I was held prisoner in the palace in 1647 by Oliver Cromwell, who came to live there in 1653. The palace was opened to the public in 1838 by Queen Victoria and today, visitors can still see much of the grandeur of this impressive Tudor palace. In the Palace Gardens, visitors can happily lose their way in the famous maze which was planted in the North Gardens in 1702.
Air: London Heathrow Airport. Water: Boat: Services run along the River Thames in the summer (from Westminster, Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames). Rail: Train: Hampton Court Station. Underground: Wimbledon or Vauxhall, then overland train services to Hampton Court Station. Road: Bus: Public services.