A few Bank Holidays ago, while the sun was still shining and we had the whole summer ahead of us, we hopped on the train, and headed (almost) out of the city.
My friend Alastair scored us some discounted tickets, and decided early on that there was to be no funny business- this is a palace, after all.
Instructed to arrive no later than 11:00am sharp, trains were missed, buses were delayed and in an unheard of twist, I managed to be the only one on time.
Left to my own devices, I took in the view.
Before long, the others arrived, and we sat down for our royal banquet.
With bellies worthy of Henry VIII, full of sausage rolls, hummus and boursin, we took a stroll around the gardens to walk it off.
This backdrop was too good to miss, so Julia had a go too.
Stomachs settled, we followed the streams of tourists and families through the impressively grand front door.
Inside the formidable walls, the palace's rabbit-warren of rooms surrounds a central courtyard.
Izzy and Alastair wasted no time in sitting down for their second banquet of the day...
...unfortunately the rest of us were preoccupied with some more artistic pursuits.
The art collection at Hampton Court is vast and varied, and I thoroughly enjoyed indulging my art-history inclined brain with the tapestries, portraits and sculpture on offer. The collection is curated to be intertwined with the history of the Palace - a dream for the girl who had a very well loved copy of Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors back in 2004.
The gatehouse court might be my favourite part of the Palace, because it features my dream clock - do you think I'll ever have a wall big enough?
The astronomical clock doesn't make telling the time easy, but it compromises by also showing the position of the sun, the zodiac times, and the phases of the moon.
We took it in turns guessing what the numbers round the edge might mean...
...before giving up in favour of something much more refreshing...
Choose your poison! I'm partial to an ice cold glass of wyne myself.
Your new salte bae?
Growing up visiting hundreds of National Trust properties, the kitchens of these big, old country houses have always fascinated me. Hampton Court takes it to another level, with a range of Tudor fare on display, and live demonstrations of Tudor cooking, including a spit roast that fills the entire kitchen with the smell of roast lamb. Apparently the staff get to take the leftovers home - anyone else thinking they might be in the wrong career?
Mitts off! Those leeks are for the King's mouth only!.
Having thoroughly explored the rooms inside, from the throne room:
- to the laundry room, we headed outside into the grounds.
This side of the palace looks completely different; a Baroque facade favoured at some point in history replacing the original building. As you emerge from its belly you're greeted with a landscape garden, the deer park in the distance.
Welcoming the chance to take the weight off our feet, we plopped ourselves down by the river for a rest.
It wasn't long before we were sharing our spot with some new friends...
As much as I loved poking my nose around Henry VIII's old digs, the highlight of Hampton Court is definitely the gardens.
The maze that Hampton Court has become famous for was honestly a little underwhelming, but the acres of perfectly manicured lawns, impressive fountains and flowerbeds, dotted with statues more than make up for it.
10 points if you can spot Izzy and Alastair.
We spent the rest of the afternoon dipping in and out behind hedges, trying not to get sunburned, and taking far too many photos inside/around this trellis.
Hampton Court feels a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of London, and has so much on offer, whether you're interested in history, architecture, art or just a beautiful landscape. It's not cheap, but for a day out in the city it's definitely worth a visit.
Let me know if you've been to Hampton Court in the comments, or where I should go next!