7-20 Hampton Court on River Thames

Monday 20th July: Rained again overnight and this morning was grey and drizzly.  We set off about 10am back up river and managed to squeeze onto the Hampton Court moorings between a small GRP cruiser (Light Haze from Portsmouth) and a Dutch widebeam (off across the channel to France on Friday). The mooring is immediately below the gates looking into the palace.

Once dogs sorted we ventured out to the ticket office for Hampton Court and spent the rest of the day exploring the palace(s).

Then into in the gardens to find a pair of shire horses pulling a land train on a short circuit of the gardens, we took a welcome 15 minute rest and opted for a ride!

On the trip we had a short guided tour and better understood the relationship between the half of the remaining Tudor palace and the unfinished Georgian palace.

Saw some of the yew trees being clipped and could do with this method to get to the top of my hedges.

Back to the boat late afternoon, quick starter and drink (hardly late lunch!) and took the dogs into Home Park to see the deer and the Longwater.

Getting quite breezy and still rather grey and not much sign of the sun but quite warm and humid.   Banging about a bit on this mooring and put wheel fenders out but still a bit bumpy especially when anything of any size passes on the river.