Written by Hermione P, Year 7
Getting off the bus, our first impressions were ones of great excitement. The towering palace sprawled out before us, with gold ornate fleur-de-lis adorning the front gate. Entering through a rusty side-door, we all emerged from the cobbled side alleys into a courtyard, furnished with carts and barrels. We all turned on our audio guides and ventured into the small door to the kitchens below. As we hopped down the cold, stone steps and into the kitchen area, we noticed that there were so many rooms! One room after another, they were all linked together with open door frames and windows. Smelling herbs, sitting by the open fire and turning the spits are just some of the things we got up to in the kitchens.
In the main halls you could spot different emblems of the queens that resided there, and a desperate attempt by Henry VIII to cover them up as they fell out of favour! If you looked up, you could see little faces (eavesdroppers), designed for you to be warned that there are people always listening. After a stroll past the famous wine fountain, we took a visit to the haunted hallway in which the tragic Catherine Howard was placed under house arrest, refusing to be dragged to her unjust fate.
A nice packed lunch on the grass with friends was all we needed to kickstart the afternoon. After a trip to the Guinness World Record holder for the biggest vine, we all had a go at the entertaining maze. We then grouped together in our classes and reluctantly made our way back to the bus; after of course a quick visit to the gift shop.
Overall, the year 7 visit to Hampton Court was very informative and exciting, to see all the dramas and stories riddled throughout in one big palace, is quite truly breathtaking.