By the time Henry VIII had finished his building works at Hampton Court Palace in about 1540, the palace was one of the most modern, sophisticated and magnificent in England. There were tennis courts, bowling alleys, pleasure gardens, a hunting park of more than 1,100 acres, kitchens covering 36,000 square feet, a chapel, a huge communal dining room (The Great hall) and a multiple garderobe or lavatory - known as the Great House of Easement - which sat 28 people at a time. Water flowed to the palace through lead pipes from Coombe Hill in Kingston, three miles away. King Henry used the palace to impress and entertain dignitaries. Most famously in August 1546, he feasted and feted the French Ambassador along with his entourage of two hundred gentlemen, 1,300 members of his own court for six days. An encampment of gold and velvet tents surrounded the palace for the occasion.
Pen & wash photo-litho print on A4 size card Limited Edition 800.
