Hampton Court Palace

Time Out says

Wed Aug 15 2012

Henry VIII had many palaces, but Hampton Court is one that oozes drama - and its prestige continued long after he had departed: Elizabeth I entertained here, Shakespeare performed for James I, and Cromwell made it his home after the Civil War. Still, Bluff King Hal is always the favourite with children, who are fascinated by his portly appearance and six wives. The ghost of Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard - executed for adultery at the Tower - is said to shriek around in the Haunted Gallery, but despite Henry's reputation for brutality, Hampton Court was for the most part a place of pleasure. There were tournaments and feasts, musical entertainment, plays and dancing - frequently revived at the palace for special events. There's even a lovingly reconstructed 4m-tall wine fountain in the Base Court, largest of the palace's several courtyards, serving wine (red and white, £3.50 a glass) on weekends and bank holidays. The Tudor and Baroque buildings sprawl across six acres, with lively costumed guides on hand to keep visitors to the state apartments, courtyards and cloisters informed and engaged. The gardens too are a delight: the maze – an essential on every child's itinerary - was planted between 1689 and 1694, making it the oldest in the country, and there's also a fine heraldic knot garden. Themed activities - including Rooftop Tours - are plentiful during the school holidays, and Tudor cookery demonstrations take place in the huge kitchens on several bank holidays and weekends, with cauldrons bubbling and the carcasses of game birds.