Tudor Kitchens at Hampton Court

Last month saw the opening of the newly refurbished Tudor Kitchens at Hampton Court. Under the management of Historic Royal Palaces, the body that for the past eighteen months has been responsible for Hampton Court and five more of the capital's royal palaces, the kitchens have undergone a remarkable transformation.

In the past, one has been lucky to get a glimpse, beyond the state apartments, of the intriguing 'below stairs' rooms that would once have formed the heart of every stately home. Although the kitchens at Hampton Court have been open to the public for several years, until now, the cold bare rooms have contained little furnishing other than the odd table and chair – a far cry from the hives of activity they were built to be.