Although badged as a castle, Hampton Court is more accurately described as a fortified manor house. Access to the house is by guided tour and we were shown round by the housekeeper who gave us a potted history of the house and the various owners of the property.
Hampton Court has been standing among pastures and parkland beside the River Lugg for 600 years. The original manor house – of which substantial parts remain – was built by Sir Rowland Lenthall on land that was a wedding gift from King Henry IV when he married the king’s cousin, Margaret Fitzalan. Rowland fought under Henry V at Agincourt. Our Herefordshire Hampton Court is nearly a century older than the other with the same name. ‘The powerful Coningsby family bought the house from the Lenthalls and stayed here for 300 years, extending and changing it. In the nineteenth century it was bought by Richard Arkwright, son of the famous inventor and industrialist. Richard’s son John, carried out another ambitious remodelling of the house. The family stayed there until 1912.
In the twentieth century it passed through various hands and much of the original furniture was sold. It was rescued in the 1990s by the American millionaire, Robert Van Kampen, who furnished it magnificently according to his idea of how an English country manor should look. It was sold again after his death.*
Adjacent to the house is the orangery (seen to the left in the above photograph) where sandwiches, cakes and light lunches are served. We were spoilt for choice and the food was delicious.
The gardens which are stunning have been recently redesigned as they had fallen into disrepair over the years. There are several different areas to the garden which include; Flower gardens enclosed by the original victorian walls, kitchen garden, moated pavilions, Wisteria Walk, herbaceous borders, yew maze, sunk garden and dutch garden.
The water features in the garden are fed by the river Lugg to where the water is returned after it reaches the final water feature in the water circuit, the sunk garden.
These photographs were taken during my visit in June. There a few photographs of the gardens in July on the Hampton Court website.
*From the Hampton Court promotional leaflet
This Hampton Court is actually more interesting than the one we have in London!
It is quite a refreshing change from the more formal stately homes
I know, this one is small and compact.
But it’s been a very long time since I last visited the big Hampton Court.
Perhaps you should visit both the small and large Hampton Courts soon in order to compare them
You can tell just from the driveway that it’s going to be magnificent.
It was such a lovely find, we had not heard of it before
I’m enchanted by the fact that no matter how far or wide you travel, this world still offers surprises for us.
I love your thought, it is so true. I had done my research for things to visit whilst we were in the area and Hampton Court Castle and Gardens did not show up in my research.
It only showed up in a leaflet in the hotel we stayed in
This is an incredibly beautiful hour dear Cherie!
A 600 years old house ?
How wonderful that You made me able to see and read about this magnificent place and it’s history.
What marvelous wedding gift !!!
Gardens are worth visiting .You captured them brilliantly and each photo is worth a Long stare
We have quite a few quaint old places like this in England.
I am so glad you enjoyed the photographs I shared of this property which we found from a leaflet in the hotel that we stayed in. I had not heard of it before.
What a beautiful house and garden – your photos are so lovely. Another place to add to the “To Visit” list
It is well worth a visit
what a wonderful presentation of the house and all of the gardens Cheryl…
it really is a fortified manor house….peter:)
It was an unexpected delight
WoW!!! what a majestic house, it is difficult to believe it was ever a home!! the grounds are so beautifully kept, i enjoyed the roses!!
The roses are lovely -) The house is typical of an old English manor of someone of wealth,
I see such a place, Cherry, usually with my mouth open in amazement. We don’t see such places in America!
A was a lovely surprise find