Hampton Court, again, and at Great Expense

2 May 1742
Went to Hampton Court with Mr Robison. in a Landau & 4 with 4 Ladys of his Acquaintance and Cost me for my share of Expenses £1.16s
in Dining, Drinking Tea and Suping and Seeing the House & Gardens

We've already had pictures of Hampton Court as this is Thomas's third visit but previously he walked. Here is the nearest I can get to the sort of carriage which made the day so expensive.

A Really Long Walk

16 July 1741
Spt Mr Buffarr London Stone Coffee House 6d

The London Stone was in the middle of Cannon Street at this date. So the coffee house must have been close by.

This is an early 19th century engraving of the London Stone set into the wall of St Swithun's Church. But it was moved there from the middle of Cannon Street in 1798 so Thomas saw it as John Stow described it "pitched upright" and "fixed in the ground very deep, fastened with bars of iron, and otherwise so strongly set that if carts do run against it through negligence the wheels he broken and the stone itself unshaken."

This modern photograph shows the London Stone in its current position, though it will move into the Museum of London very soon.

This photograph used courtesy of the phatcontroller and I found it on Flickr.

19 July
Went with Mr Byfield and Mr Smalley a futt to Hampton Court and see all the Painting Tapestery & Carttoons & Gardens & the Maze from thence to Richmon and Twickenam and got home the same night a foot spent 4/6

That is a walk of 30.9 miles estimated by Google maps to take over 10 hours. Richmond bridge wasn't built but we must assume that Thomas used a ferry.


Richmond Park was enclosed by Charles I in 1637, but there were public footpaths across it, so Thomas probably went to visit the Park.Twickenham had not long had a new church. The old one fell down leaving just the tower

Twickenham museum's site has that story and lots more about the town

Thomas Plays Tourist Again

1 Oct Walked to Hampton Court with Mr Hall and see all the Room's & Gardens & the Maze and lost me. Walked back the same day 3/6

Today, that's a 14 mile walk from Thomas's work in Ludgate Hill.

Ludgate Hill hasn't moved, nor has Hampton Court Palace so why "Today" in that sentence?

Google maps says the shortest walking route is over Southwark Bridge which wasn't built until the next century. Thomas probably didn't use a ferry or a waterman as he records no expenditure on that so he walked using London Bridge. That makes the journey a mile longer!
This picture of London Bridge is a little later - 1753 but the bridge was essentially the same when Thomas crossed it to go to Hampton Court.