The clouds parted and the drizzly weather dried up just in time for a rooftop tour of Hampton Court Palace.
The grandeur of Henry the VIII's Tudor palace never ceases to amaze me. He reigned from 1509-1547.
Our group waits patiently for our guide by the wine fountain that was inspired by the discovery of the remains of a 16th century fountain during a major archaeological dig at Hampton Court Palace in 2008.
And this fountain is not just for show - it runs with red and (chilled) white wine on weekends and bank holidays just as the original did 5 centuries ago. What a party! Unfortunately, we were there on a Thursday.
That's probably for the best as we climbed up the 108 steps to the lead rooftop where we
were given strict instructions by our guide where we could and could not step!
Probably a good thing we didn't have that wine!
There are more than 400 of these beautifully embellished chimneys but,
not surprisingly, it wasn't until Queen Victoria's reign in the early 1800s, that the decorative parts were added. She had quite a flair for the dramatic!
Anne Boleyn's Gate. Named so because it's believed that her living quarters were just above the gate.
The astrological clock was made for Henry VIII in 1540.
Gargoyles for protection
and the symbols for the United Kingdom, including
England's lion.
Looks like a different palace, doesn't it? This section of the palace was built for King William III and Queen Mary II. Sir Chritstopher Wren, a prolific architect in the late 1600's, designed this part of the palace in the Baroque style - a sharp contrast to the Tudor style of the Henry VIII's palace. Originally, the plans were to build this palace and demolish the Tudor one - happily, they ran out of funds so we're able to enjoy both.
Unfortunately, much of the palace was damaged in a fire as recent as 1986 so the many of the details of the paintings (inside the circles) are hardly recognizable though there are plans for refurbishment.
And there's the man himself - Henry VIII! Probably looking for a new wife.
Henry VIII's P.A. (personal assistant) refuses to get out of character as Charene and Teresa tease him.
As I was leaving, the skies returned to their grey color and the rain started to fall by the time I got home.
That looks like so much fun! What a view you get from the roof!
ReplyDelete