When visiting Hampton Court Palace you are actually visiting two palaces in one; a Tudor palace magnificently developed by Cardinal Wolsey and later Henry VIII, alongside a baroque palace built by William III and Mary II. The first buildings at Hampton were acquired by the Knights Hospitallers Of St John Jerusalem in 1236 but Henry VIII remains the Palace's most prolific occupant and by the time Henry was finished with his renovations the palace was one the of the most modern, sophisticated and magnificent in England. Sir Christopher Wren, under instruction of William III developed the 'second' part of the palace in the late 1600's and transformed the east and south facades of Hampton Court with the grand and elegant baroque exteriors that dominate the Formal gardens today. When visiting Hampton Court do not miss the Tudor Kitchens - a living monument to 230 years of royal cooking. The kitchens were designed to feed at least 600 people twice a day and are still regularly used to prepare Tudor meals. Hampton Court also boasts amazing gardens; the park covers 750 acres, the formal gardens 60 acres and the actual palace buildings 6 acres. Do not miss the restored Privy Garden and the famous Maze! Disabled Access : Hampton Court Palace is a historic building and, therefore, has uneven surfaces. However, many of the staircases are wide and shallow (having been built for William III who was asthmatic). Most of the routes within the palace are accessible to visitors unable to climb stairs as there is a lift to take visitors to the State Apartments on the first floor. Please ask a warder for assistance. However, for evacuation reasons, only six wheelchairs are permitted on the first floor at any one time. As a consequence, visitors may occasionally have to wait or visit an alternative part of the palace. Manual wheelchairs are available for use within the palace. Wheelchairs are available on a first come, first served basis and cannot be booked in advance. Please ask a warder for assistance. Single-person scooters are available for use in the gardens only, again on a first come, first served basis and they cannot be booked in advance. General audio tours for visitors with visual impairments are available for: King's Apartments of William III Georgian Rooms Tudor Kitchens The Young Henry VIII exhibition. Braille guidebooks are available free, on loan, from the Information Centre in Clock Court. Braille and large print folders are available in the Young Henry VIII exhibition. Please ask a warder if you wish to use them. The artefacts in the Tudor Kitchens may be handled as they are replicas.