Sunbury Court Conference Centre London UK

It would be a mistake to stay at Sunbury Court and not go to see the magnificient royal palace at Hampton Court; so steeped in english history and splendor.

Henry VIII’s State Apartments
Henry VIII (1509-47) is probably Hampton Court’s most famous occupant and its first royal owner. All his lavish private rooms were demolished in the early 18th century, but the two most impressive public rooms still survive - the Great Hall and the Chapel Royal, which is still a place of worship today.

Courtyards & Cloisters
The buildings of Hampton Court cover 6 acres and comprise many courtyards and cloisters. One of the greatest pleasures of visiting the palace is strolling around them admiring the harmonious blend of Tudor and Baroque architecture and curiosities such as Henry VIII’s Astronomical Clock and Cardinal Wolsey’s coat of arms in Clock Court.

The Wolsey Rooms & Renaissance Gallery
The palace is home to one of the greatest collections of Renaissance paintings in England. These are housed in a series of small Tudor rooms, known as the Wolsey Rooms, and in the Renaissance Picture Gallery. An exhibition on the history of the Royal Collection is located at the start of the route. For Mantegna’s Triumphs of Caesar see the Palace Gardens.

The Palace Gardens
There are over 60 acres of gardens to explore at Hampton Court including the Maze, the Great Vine and the newly restored Privy Garden. An exhibition on the East Front tells the story of the gardens and explains the restoration of the Privy Garden, opened in 1995.

Tudor Kitchens
The fascinating but more practical side of royal life is represented at Hampton Court by the enormous Tudor Kitchens, the most extensive surviving 16th-century kitchens in Europe. Today they are laid out as if a feast was being prepared using all the food and utensils that would have been used in the 16th century.

The King’s Apartments
King William III’s Apartments are the finest and most important set of Baroque state apartments in the world. They are still furnished with the magnificent furniture and tapestries which graced them in 1700 when they were completed for the King.

How to get to Hampton Court From Sunbury Court
Car or Coach - From Car park, run left into Thames Street and follow it turning right onto Sunbury Road (A308), which shortly becomes Hampton Court Road leading straight to the Palace. (5-10 mins)
Bus - Take the number ? from Thames Street all the way to Hampton. (15-20 mins)
Train - The quickest way is to jump on the overland at Sunbury Station, and get a bus from Hampton Station. The alternative is to change at New Maldon and catch a train link straight to Hampton Court. (20-30mins) Plan your route at the South West Trains website.

More information
Check out the official Royal Palaces website for party discounts and parking facilities.

Henry VIII by Joos van Cleve c1535. In his youth, Henry was considered to be the handsomest prince in Europe.

From the Privy Garden you can visit William III’s magnificent Banqueting House and the Lower Orangery where Andrea Mantegna’s Triumphs of Caesar are displayed

The Great Hall is the largest room in the palace and was used to provide a great communal dining room for members of the court - and a magnificent entrance to the State Apartments which lay beyond.

The Chapel Royal was the scene of some of the great events in the life of Henry VIII. In 1537 his son, Prince Edward, was baptised here; in 1541 while at Chapel the King learnt of the infidelity of his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, and two years later in 1543 he married his last wife, Catherine Parr, in the Queen’s Closet adjoining the Chapel.