Hampton Court Palace. Hampton Court was built by Cardinal Wolsey. There will be time to visit the lovely gardens, maze and State rooms. One of the top attractions inside Hampton Court Palace is the Great Hall located in the center of Tudor Palace. The work on Henry VIII's Great Hall began in 1532 as it replaced a smaller hall built between 1492 - 1514. This hall was used for daily dining and entertainment purposes. 500 years of garden history These gardens, now visited by thousands of people every year, were once the exclusive playground of kings and queens. New ideas and designs arrived with each new era, from the Tudors through to the Victorians. Today the Gardens and Estate team continue the work of past royal gardeners. From Charles II’s elegant Long Water, to William III & Mary II’s fine baroque gardens, including the Maze, to dazzling displays of Victorian mass bedding, Hampton Court Gardens have always been at the cutting edge of design.