The Little Banqueting House

L2 Day 10. A quick trip to Hampton Court to go for a walk in the gardens, in the rain, with a friend. There were very few people as the gardens are not at their best at this time of year and no parts of the Palace are open. However the ‘Magic Garden’ children’s playground was still open and although empty at 10.00 it was very busy by 12.00. I don’t think there were many people who paid entrance fees today, I suspect they were mostly season ticket holders like me.
The Little Banqueting House was built for William III in about 1700 - for his private entertainment to get away from the man Palace. It has a good view of the river and there is still art work decorating the walls and ceilings by the baroque artist Antonio Verrio whose work is also seen in the main Palace. This can be hired for weddings or other events to hold up to 50 people, the cost starts at £5000 which also allows use of the adjacent ’Pond’ gardens!