Hampton Court Park park. It is documented Cardinal Wolsey inclosed with a wall about 2,000 acres to form this park and Bushy Park for his purchase and reconstruction into an exceptionally grand house on the former manor house of Hampton. It formed what became before his death Hampton Court Palace, taken over by Henry VIII. The king was an avid hunter and had the park used for breeding rabbits and/or hares, pheasants and partridges. The inventory of Cromwell's goods made in 1659 records "about 700 deer", compared to "about 1,700" and "about 30 red deer" in Bushy Park. A tree, called the Mediaeval
Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta The regatta was from the start under the royal patronage of Princess Frederica of Hanover who was then residing at Hampton Court Palace. The start point, then as now, was from the Hampton Court Palace Water Gallery, but finished then at the lower end of Boyle Farm Island. The regatta has remained a traditional boat event, being a competition for skiffing and punting and is run from Dittons Skiff and Punting Club at Thames Ditton in July. Skiffing is run under the rules of the Skiff Racing Association and the course goes downstream from Hampton Court Palace Water Gallery to