The second day, all of the London pre-trip people had arrived and we did our first organized excursion to Henry VIII's favorite house, Hampton Court Palace.
Lion at the main gate of Hampton Court Palace
Unicorn at the main gate
Statues flanking the entrance
Hampton Court Palace facade.
Astronomical clock above Anne Boleyn's gate, made for Henry VIII in 1540
Base Court.
A 2010 recreation of Henry VIII's wine fountain from the 16th century painting, "The Field of the Cloth of Gold"
The wooden statues were inspired from the same painting.
The Fountain Court designed by Christopher Wren
One of four lamps surrounding the fountain.
Plaque outside of the Chapel Royal, combining Henry VIII's coat of arms with Jane Seymour's
Ceiling of the Queen's Staircase. The sculpture hanging from the center is new art from Studio Roso called Palace Chandelier.
Henry VIII's Great Hall (1535)
Great Hall windows
Great Watching Chamber used by Henry VIII for entertaining higher level court officials. Named for the royal bodyguards stationed here.
Windows in the Great Watching Chamber
Chapel Court Tudor Garden.
Manicured yew trees in the Greate Fountain Garden
Privy Garden (private garden of the king) restored to the 1702 form designed for William III
Privy Garden (left) and Orangery (right)
Long shot from the gardens
Privy Garden
Pond Garden
The other pond garden
The Great Vine, planted in 1768. According the the Guiness Book of World Records, this is the oldest and largest producing grape vine in the world.
Queen Mary II exotic plants
Detail of the tudor brick work
Note the painted bricks, a signature Tudor feature.
Tudor chimney details
The River Thames adjacent to Hampton Court Palace, taken from the Hampton Court Bridge
