Hampton Court: A Social and Architectural History

by Simon Thurley

The book takes as its starting point the argument that the only way to understand fully a building such as Hampton Court is to set it in the political and social context of its time and to explore the lives and motivations of its builders. The picture that emerges is on the one hand intensely personal - one of architects and builders fulfilling the whims of kings and princes. On the other hand, it is Hampton Court is revealed first as the royal household, then as a palace claimed by grace-and-favour residents and finally, by visitors and tourists as their own.
The history of the building is taken right up to the beginning of the twenty-first century. The twentieth-century story of Hampton Court is one of conservation and of changing attitudes towards opening up the complex to the public - it covers everything from the agonising discussions as to whether to build public lavatories to an account of the private enterprise that caused an octogenarian to make a personal fortune out of opening the maze to the public. It includes also the story of the terrible fire of 1986 and its aftermath.
Social history and architectural history sit side by side in this intriguing account. New and important attributions are made to the architects Hugh May, Nicholas Hawksmoor, William Talman, Colen Campbell and Edward Blore amongst others. Moreover, the palace and its setting are placed in their European context and their long-term architectural significance is gauged.
The book is lavishly illustrated with original paintings, prints and drawings, while a specially commissioned suite of plans and reconstructions reveals the evolving form of the buildings.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period

480 pages, Hardcover

First published February 9, 2004

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended to me a couple of years ago while serving as a State Apartment Warder for the summer at Hampton Court.
It can come as a shock to find out that the famous Tudor frontage is all that's left of Henry's party Palace. But every monarch has left their mark on the Palace and this amazing book, rich in photos and architectural drawings and easy to understand, is a guide as to just how much it has changed and the clues you can find around the Palace that will tell you who did what.
Fascinating stuff, who knew architecture was so interesting?!

[Eliisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todella perusteellinen kirja Hampton Courtista, lukijan kannalta jopa liian painava fyysisiltä mitoiltaan! Rakennuksen ohella kirja käsittelee kiinnostavasti myös 1500-1700-lukujen kuninkaallisten historiaa. Nimilista vuosilukuineen olisi ollut hyödyllistä painaa myös kirjaan. Nyt joutuu käyttämään omaa lunttilappua.