Hampton Court was originally built from 1514 by Cardinal Wolsey (1475-1530), Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII (1491-1547).  King Henry VIII acquired the property in 1528 and developed it as his palace. By the 1530s, Henry VIII's Hampton Court was a palace, a hotel, a theatre and a vast leisure complex. The King used it to demonstrate magnificence and power in every possible way, through lavish banquets, extravagant court life and fabulously expensive art.

The Year 7's started off their journey by meeting the ten carved stone beasts at the entrance of the palace.  Exploring the palace, walking through the courts where Henry VIII and his family once walked.  Seeing the magnificent paintings constructed during the Tudor times and walking through the rooms of where the wine was kept and food was prepared for our past monarchs.

The Hampton Court Palace Maze is the UK's oldest surviving hedge maze. Commissioned around 1700 by William III, it covers a third of an acre and is known for confusing and intriguing visitors with its many twists, turns and dead ends.  Our Year 7s had some fun going through the maze; some ended up losing half their team amongst the hedges.  Having only one entrance and one exit we got there in the end though.

The Year 7s also got to enjoy a session with a character dressed up from the Tudor times.  In the session the pupils explored primary evidence from the buildings of Hampton Court Palace. They were taught the impact of changes in religion during the period of King Henry VIII and Queen Mary I in one of the key locations where religious and political decisions were made.