Western european influence on Tudor palaces cannot be measured easily, almost 5 hundred years of industrial history has made the data hard to examine in more detail and much evidence has been smooth over or laid to waste. In order to examine the subject in a depth the research of scholars must be examined and their interpretations of the remaining structures and artifacts examined.

King Henry VIII himself would have had an overwhelming influence over building works of that time period. He was learned, the first King of The united kingdom to write, publish and print a book and he read compulsively (Steane 메이저놀이터, J. 1998, p. 207). He desired power, along with perhaps wanted to are more powerful than the King of England (Gosman, Michael. 2005, p. 138). This goal coupled with his educational knowledge may have been used to build palaces designed to exceed their Western european counterparts.

Two different examples will be used to examine Western european influence on Tudor palaces: Hampton Court Palace and Nonsuch Palace. The impact of Western european influence will be assessed alongside the task that the growth and power of the Henry VIII and his court was a greater by using force on their buildings. Western european influences will be considered in relation to the following themes: external appearance including building materials, internal layout and the aesthetic interior. For these themes each palace will be considered in turn. Before launching into the themes, it is useful to give a brief history.

The time scale of the Reformation saw Henry VIII break from Italian capital and form their own church (Gosman, Michael. et ing 2005). This period can be viewed both disastrous and bountiful for buildings in The united kingdom. It saw widespread devastation of ancient abbeys and priories that had endured for five centuries (Summerson, J. 1993), but it also saw Regal building work to an extent that had never been known before. By the end of his rule Henry VIII owned over fifty houses (Summerson, J. 1993). These industrial works were built on the basis of a rest from Italian capital, and as such, it could be said that this was one factor against Western european influence.

Hampton Court Palace is an accretive building that began in 1514 as the largest house in The united kingdom (Watkin, D. 1997); it was owned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (c. 1471-1530) and fond of Henry VIII in 1529. Half of the Tudor palace is still visible next to the newer the main palace built by Christopher Wren (1632-1723) from 1689-1694 (Tinniswood, A. 2001). Nonsuch Palace was initiated in 1538; it was built from scratch as an elaborate “hunting lodge” and was not completed by the time of the King’s death in 1547 (British Archaeology, 2009). Unfortunately, whilst in the hands of Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine in 1682, the house was destroyed and its parts and land sold (London Borough of Sutton, 2009). It is necessary to examine the remainder artefacts, including pictures and descriptions to form an accurate picture of Nonsuch Palace.

There is some debate over when Henry VIII’s improvements started and Cardinal Wolseys finished, (Thurley, S. 1988 and Curnow, P. 1984). When Henry VIII took over the palace from Wolsey it wasn’t designed as a traditional Regal residence.

Hampton Court’s external appearance heralded a new era for Regal houses; it is made from distinctive red stone. The tradition of stone usage in Europe probably originated in Italian capital (Edson Armi, C. 2004), but the use of red-fired stone was a Burgundian concept. The Burgundian Court used stone even when there was an enormous method of getting stone, as can be seen from the Palais de Savoy in Michelen, Belgium, built from 1507-1527 (Markschies, A. 2003). Stone, and its different bonds — including Flemish for laying walls and other structures — had a huge affect buildings from the early sixteenth century and Hampton Court Palace is a prime example of this. In 1532 special stone kilns were built near Hampton Court Palace to produce the enormous number of bricks needed (Thurley, S. 1988).

One of the making it through images of Nonsuch is a print by George Hoefnagle (1545-1600). From this image we can see the huge octagonal turrets that stand guard on the exterior of the building, these may have been an emulation of the Chateau de Chambord or they may merely have been an expansion on normal Tudor theme — a mass flanked by octagons, as seen at Richmond Palace (Summerson, J. 1993). Of more impact in this image is what we cannot see: the town of Cuddington that was swept away; the stone from the monasteries with which it was built. All of these were a symbol of Henry VIII’s goal and ruthlessness (British Archaeology, 2009).