Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace is the place to understand Henry VIII, and it is the most rewarding royal palace within reach of central London. Cardinal Wolsey built it in the early sixteenth century as a statement of his own power; Henry took it from him when Wolsey fell from favour, then spent lavishly turning it into the most sophisticated palace in England. His queens knew these rooms, and some of the most dramatic moments of his marriages played out here. A century and a half later William III and Mary II commissioned Christopher Wren to rebuild much of it in the baroque style, so the palace you visit today is two palaces in one: red-brick Tudor courtyards, chimneys and gatehouses on one side, and elegant Wren state apartments facing the formal gardens on the other. The highlights are clear. Henry's Great Hall, with its hammerbeam roof and tapestries, is the finest Tudor interior you can walk into anywhere. The Tudor Kitchens, built to feed a court of hundreds, are vast, smoky and genuinely fascinating, often with costumed cooks at work over the fires. The Haunted Gallery is linked by legend to Catherine Howard. The Chapel Royal has a dazzling blue-and-gold ceiling. On the Wren side, William III's apartments and the Cumberland Art Gallery hold paintings from the Royal Collection. Outside, sixty acres of gardens run down to the river: the Privy Garden, the Great Vine planted in the eighteenth century and still fruiting, the Magic Garden playground for children, and the hedge maze, the oldest surviving puzzle maze in Britain. Entry includes an audio guide and is timed, so book ahead. In the winter season the palace is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check days before you plan the trip.

The palace makes most sense if you follow the story in order. Start in the Tudor half: Base Court and Clock Court, with Henry's astronomical clock above the gate, then the Great Hall and the Great Watching Chamber, where the king's guards stood. The rooms dedicated to Henry's wives and the Haunted Gallery come next, followed by the Chapel Royal, which is still a working chapel. The Tudor Kitchens are a separate route and deserve proper time: the scale of the operation, the spit-roasting hearths and the wine cellar explain what it meant to feed a royal household. Then cross into William and Mary's palace, where Wren's restraint and the King's Staircase murals show how differently the late Stuarts wanted to be seen. Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that runs the site, does living history well, and costumed interpreters often appear in the courtyards.

Planning the trip: Hampton Court sits in south-west London, about thirty-five minutes by train from Waterloo to Hampton Court station, which is a short walk across the bridge from the palace gates. In summer, river boats run from Westminster, a slow and lovely way to arrive if you have the whole day. Allow at least four hours, more if the weather favours the gardens. There are cafes on site, but a picnic in the grounds is a good alternative on a fine day. Families should head for the Magic Garden and the maze, and many children enjoy the kitchens more than anything else. The palace also runs seasonal events through the year, including a winter programme in the run-up to Christmas, so look at the official calendar for what overlaps your dates.

Is it worth the trip out of the centre? For anyone interested in the Tudors, unquestionably: nowhere else lets you walk Henry's own rooms, and the combination of palace, kitchens, gardens and maze makes a complete day that suits mixed-age groups. Ticket prices are similar to the Tower of London, and booking online is usually the cheapest and quickest way in. Pair it with Kew Gardens on another day for a full south-west London itinerary, or with the Tower of London to see the other side of Tudor history, where Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard met their ends.