In June, the History Department took the whole of Year 7 on a trip to visit Hampton Court Palace to explore life in the court of Henry VIII. We all marvelled as we saw the sweeping drive which led up to the grand palace and felt that 500 years on, it was every bit as imposing as Henry VIII had intended. As we entered the palace we saw the replica wine fountain and imagined the elaborate parties that he held for his court. Every experience in the court, from the kitchens to the Great Hall was an example of Henry’s determination to show his wealth, generosity and power. We enjoyed exploring the beautiful Chapel Royal, the gardens and were interested to see how Henry spent his free time in his tennis courts and jousting arena. It was a very informative and enjoyable day out.

I feel that going to Hampton Court Palace was an amazing experience! It was a great way for us to learn about life for people who worked there like cooks (which also let us know what food people ate in the Tudor period), to learning about how Henry VIII had put work into putting the initials “A” and “H” to symbolise Anne and Henry, showing us how much he had loved her. We saw many interesting things, giving us all a great opportunity to learn outside the classroom, the palace being quite breath-taking. It was definitely a day that I won’t forget any time soon.                                                  Ashera Katambay 7T

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