Hampton Court is a royal palace in Richmond, London. The palace has a very colourful history and was a favoured residence of King Henry VIII. 

Strike and Robin visit Hampton Court Palace in Chapter 35 of Troubled Blood to interview Cynthia Phipps where she works as a guide.  They plan to meet at The Privy Kitchen Café. 

“Their footsteps rang out on the wet tarmac as the great red-brick palace rose up before them…” Troubled Blood, Chapter 35

“They walked across a cobbled courtyard in silence until Robin came to a sudden halt.” Troubled Blood, Chapter 35

When they pass into the next courtyard, Robin notices the astronomical clock and told Strike to look.

“Strike did as he was bidden and saw an enormous, ornate, sixteenth-century astronomical clock of blue and gold. The signs of the zodiac were marked on the perimeter, both with the glyphs with which Strike had become unwillingly familiar, and with pictures representing each sign.” Troubled Blood, Chapter 35

Author J.K. Rowling updated her Twitter header to a photo of the clock on 17th July 2020 and is significant to Troubled Blood since the clock appears on the book’s cover. 

You can find more information on the Hampton Court Clock in this YouTube video here. 

As they make their way to The Privy Kitchen Café, they walk along a “flagged covered walkway”  and eventually come to a small garden. 

“Through a door to the right, a small Tudor garden came into view. Brightly colored heraldic beasts stood sentinel over square beds full of sixteenth-century herbs.” Troubled Blood, Chapter 35

 

“The sudden appearance of the spotted leopard, the white hart and the red dragon seemed to Robin to cheer her on, asserting the potency and allure of symbol and myth.” Troubled Blood, Chapter 35

“They entered the white-walled café, which had small leaded windows and dark oak furniture.” Troubled Blood, Chapter 35

Find Hampton Court Palace on the map below.