In 1838, Queen Victoria opened the gates of Hampton Court to the nation so that all her subjects could enjoy them free of charge. This made Hampton Court one of the most popular visitor destinations in Victorian times, and its immense popularity continues to this day.

Local parliamentary candidates John Cope (Esher & Walton), Helen Edward (Kingston and Surbiton), and Jonathan Hulley (Twickenham) are joining forces to campaign for Historic Royal Palaces and Lucy Frazer MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, to restore free access and end the ‘temporary’ pandemic measures.

This builds on a local Conservative council candidate Patrick Wylde's campaign that gained nearly 10,000 signatures. Sadly, Patrick passed away, and this latest effort continues his work to deliver access to the gardens.

Jonathan Hulley said: “Thousands of residents who used to enjoy the walks in the garden and visit the Tiltyard Café are now excluded. The changes also mean the famous Lion Gate is locked shut, severing the historic link between the Palace and Bushy Park.”

Cllr John Cope commented, “Restoring access to the Hampton Court gardens would be a fitting memorial to Patrick, who campaigned so passionately given the number of local residents who used to enjoy access. With the pandemic now far behind us, charging £30 each time to access what used to be a public park is unjustifiable. I hope Historic Royal Palaces will see sense and remove their temporary pandemic measures.”

Helen Edward added: “Since management was contracted out to (the then) Historic Royal Palaces Agency in the 90s, we’ve seen them whittle down free public access, culminating in all access (including The Tiltyard and Wilderness) being removed during the pandemic without public consultation. These temporary measures seem to have become permanent, which must be reversed.”

Background

A previous Attorney General’s advice to the government was disclosed in a parliamentary debate on 18 November 2003. It stated that charges could only be made for visiting the formal gardens, admission had to be set at a reasonable level that does not deny people access due to cost, and the revenue was only used to maintain the gardens.

In response to a previous petition, Historic Royal Palaces agreed to a limited number of free garden open days and a review when visitor numbers increased. With the pandemic firmly behind us and Historic Royal Palaces in surplus again, temporary measures brought in during the pandemic should be allowed to become permanent.