Great Fountain Garden and the Long Water

Water features fit for royalty

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When

Open

In line with palace opening hours

Ticketing information

Included in palace admission (Members go free)

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Things to see

The Great Fountain Garden

One of Hampton Court Gardens' crowning glories, the Great Fountain Garden offers a slice of Versailles on the banks of the Thames.

Envisioned by William III and Mary II (1689-1702) this garden was the height of baroque fashion, matching the elegance of their new baroque part of the palace.

With the spectacular East Front as a backdrop, neatly trimmed Yew trees line a pattern of gravel paths around the magnificent central fountain.

A seat on one of the many benches is the perfect place to take in the splendour while watching the world go by and enjoying the sounds of the fountain flowing.

The Long Water

Longwater Canal - known today as The Long Water - is a beautiful stretch of water completed in 1660 by King Charles II. In a spectacular show of affection - the king dedicated this water feature, complete with its double row of lime trees as a wedding present to his bride-to-be, Catherine of Braganza.

The 12-mile Longford river - commissioned by King Charles to bring fresh water to Hampton Court Palace - was dug by a royal tenant farmer by the name of Edward Manning. He completed the immense task in just nine months.

Passing through Hounslow, Feltham, Bedfont and Hanworth before entering the royal estate at Bushy Park and into Hampton Court Palace, The Long Water is towards the end of the river, flowing in to the River Thames.

During his reign, Oliver Cromwell extended and improved river flow. Following his death, King Charles II was desperate to renounce the glory of the court, so contracted famous French landscape gardener, Andre Mollet, to design something breathtaking. Mollet diverted the old course of the Longford River at Hampton Court, pouring it into the magnificent canal of today.

Over time, each monarch's river modification played crucial roles in both landscape history and ecological terms enhancing bio-diversity dramatically and crafting the wondrous and thriving ecosystem we enjoy today.

Gardens Art Stuart