The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: December twenty-sixth, spending Boxing Day at Hampton Court.

In the year 1514, Sir Thomas Wolsey became Archbishop of York. He started to build a great estate on a thousand woodland acres on the left bank of the Thames River, 12 miles upstream from Central London. Wolsey did such a good job, his estate eventually caught the envious eye of King Henry the Eighth. As compensation for Wolsey's failure to win him a divorce, Henry claimed Hampton as his own.

For the next two centuries, Hampton Palace was where English kings and queens held court and entertained visiting royalty. Intended to rival France's Versailles, great wings were added to Hampton's red-brick palace, and formal gardens were sited around the grounds. One 17th-century visitor called it the most splendid royal retreat anywhere.

Hampton Court now hosts thousands of visitors each year, from all around the world. The 68 rooms open to the public are filled with 16th-century furniture, stained glass and other royal relics that provide surprisingly intimate portraits of its monarch residents. Hundreds of great paintings hang in the Great Hall. The southeast wing, severely damaged by fire in 1986, has been amazingly restored. Elsewhere on the grounds, there's an orangery and a hot house containing what's said to be the world's oldest grapevine. Sixty acres of ornamental gardens provide seasonal splendors. Hampton's refurbished privy hedge maze still captivates visitors young and old alike.

Today is Boxing Day in England, one of only four occasions each year that the palace is closed. The rest of the time, Hampton is a great day excursion from Central London.

Admission to Hampton Palace and 60 other attractions is free, if you have a London Pass. For details, check our home page.FMI For Hampton Court information: www.hrp.org.uk

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