Why is Hampton Court Palace there?

Answer 1

Hampton Court Palace is built on the River Thames in Surrey. The reason why it was built in the countryside was because Henry VIII, owner of Hampton Court Palace from 1529, enjoyed hunting. Also, it was away from London so Henry avoided the plague and other diseases - especially during the summer when it was hot and the Thames started to smell. It was built along the River Thames so Henry could get from palace to palace (Henry, at the time, had Hampton Court, Beaulieu Palace, Greenwich and a couple of stately homes). It would have taken a day or so to travel by river (at the time, the River Thames was probably like the M25 because hardly anyone travelled by horse and cart).