The Great Fire at Hampton Court

by Michael Fishlock

On Easter Monday 1986, a spectacular fire severely damaged the Wren wing of Hampton Court Palace. Within hours, experts were sifting through the ruins to salvage Grinling Gibbons's carving and other priceless artifacts. Michael Fishlock has written a dramatic first-hand account of the fire itself and the challenging restoration scheme, recounting the critical decisions made about what to conserve, what to restore, what to build anew; the wonderful discoveries of handprints from the 17th century; the graffitti left by Wren's workmen; the seashells beneath the floors that were the sound insulation.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 1990

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was just at Hampton Court and during the tour of the Christopher Wren section of the palace I overheard a guard tell another visitor that there had been a terrible fire there and it took a long time to rebuild. That piqued my interest and when I saw this book in the gift shop, I had to read it. It's a quick read, written by the head of the restoration project. It's basically his memories of the project, but there are quite a few photos and anecdotes about how so much of the apartments were saved, what was reconstructed, and what interesting things they found in the walls and floorboards. If you are a fan of historic preservation and/or a fan of Hampton Court, this is an interesting overview of a terrible incident in the palace's history and how they "rose from the ashes."

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, informative book. We'd just visited Hampton Court in late January; I can vaguely recall the story of the fire being on the news in 1986. Hard to believe the 30th anniversary is coming up in just a few short weeks. This book was an easy read; lots of great pictures of the aftermath and restoration process, and filled with interesting details on the craftsmen and the work that it took to bring this portion of the palace back to Christopher Wren's original design. Visiting Hampton Court was one of the highlights of our trip and when we go back, I'll have a bit more of an 'inside story' of that portion of the palace.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating account.