Over the course of his lifetime and 38-year reign as King of England, Henry VIII owned a staggering 55 palaces scattered around his kingdom. And some of these, like Hampton Court Palace about an hour from London, became a favourite for entertaining and hosting visitors, as well as for collecting and displaying art. Here’s what to see at Hampton Court Palace, perhaps the most magnificent of Henry VII’s palaces.
Let’s just start off by saying that anything deemed to be ‘the most beautiful’ is clearly subjective, as we all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But if you are visiting the Cotswolds in England for the first time, you will definitely want to explore some of the characteristic communities that are part of what is designated as a ‘National Landscape’, (formerly described as an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”) by the government itself. Having done a fair bit of research before visiting this area, Henk and I visited places that we agreed were three of the most beautiful villages in the Cotswolds, plus a couple of Honourable Mentions, and one specific village that is best avoided (at least in high season).
With all of its history, architecture and seemingly frozen-in-time villages, it’s easy to see why so many big and small screen productions are shot in England. From Jane Austen classics to Harry Potter and Thor, here are some of the film locations in the UK that we visited (sometimes by accident), and what to see in each of them.
