The Sixteenth-Century Kitchens at Hampton Court

Thurley, Simon

The Sixteenth-Century Kitchens at Hampton Court

Resource type

Journal article

Creator (person)

Thurley, Simon

Date published

1990

Abstract

The Tudor kitchens and service range at Hampton Court provide a unique record of the archaeology and organisation of the early Tudor royal household. Recent examination of the buildings and afresh look at the documentation has enabled a comprehensive account of their use and development to be given. It has also been possible to set the Hampton Court kitchens in the wider context of the development of royal kitchen buildings before 1550. It is argued that the plan of Hampton Court was a development of that first introduced into royal buildings by Edward IV at Eltham and subsequently adopted at all royal palaces. The adoption of this plan is attributed to the increased formality and ceremonial of the Yorkist and early Tudor courts.