England: Palace sleepover

Georgian House at Hampton Court Palace is available for hire. Photo / Rob McFarland

Maybe this isn't such a good idea. After spending all afternoon reading about Hampton Court Palace's supernatural residents, I've decided, in a wine-fuelled act of uncharacteristic bravery, to venture inside the palace grounds at midnight.

The moon has bathed everything in a ghostly half-light as I creep across the cobblestones of the main courtyard. I pass through a narrow brick archway and enter a dimly lit alley. It is eerily still and unnervingly quiet.

My imagination kicks into overdrive. I start to wonder how I'd react to hearing the "piercing and unearthly shrieks" of Catherine Howard, King Henry VIII's fifth wife, who was dragged away by guards after being sentenced to death for adultery.

Or to seeing the pallid form of his third wife, Jane Seymour, who has been spotted hanging around staircases dressed all in white and holding a lit taper.

The thought of being confronted by the tall, gaunt figure of royal wet-nurse Sibell Penn, slowly advancing with arms outstretched, sends me into a panic and I randomly try the wooden doors lining the alley in search of an exit. Finally, one gives way but flies open with such force that I jump back and let out an embarrassingly high-pitched shriek. Heart pounding, I race home into the welcoming arms of another glass of red wine.

I imagine the palace guards are still chuckling over the security camera footage to this day.

My home for the next two nights is somewhere rather special. It is a little known fact that The Landmark Trust, a charitable organisation which restores and rents buildings of historic and architectural significance around Britain, manages two properties inside Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, southwest of London.

I'm staying with my parents and brother in Georgian House, a beautiful three-storey building north of the palace. Built in 1719 as a kitchen for George, Prince of Wales, it has been converted into a handsome house with four bedrooms, a modern kitchen, a separate dining room and sitting room and an exquisite private walled garden. Although the bedrooms are a little on the sparse side, the lounge with high ceilings is a wonderfully welcoming room with a large marble fireplace.

All around are reminders of the property's historical significance: flagstones worn by centuries of staff in the kitchen, a huge blocked arch that was once a royal cooking hearth, and an imposing portrait of Charles II.

But that's just the beginning. The benefit of the house is the access it provides to the palace. A small, unmarked wooden door leads directly into the palace's northern wing and the largest surviving Renaissance kitchen in Europe - an enormous culinary production line that once served the Tudor court with more than 600 meals a day. It's like having a private portal to the 16th century; a Narnia-style gateway that instantly transports you back 500 years.

This private entrance means you can indulge in a spot of ghost hunting at midnight or wander through the cloisters at dawn. There is also access to the palace's extensive gardens - 24ha of beautiful grounds that run down to the River Thames. Strolling through what was once the king's private garden in the still of early morning before the public arrives is an enormous privilege.

A stay of several days allows you to tackle the palace in manageable chunks. The security guard who gave us our passes when we arrived put it very eloquently: "For this weekend, you are residents of the Palace."

This year is special for Hampton Court - it's 500 years since Henry VIII's coronation and there are events to commemorate this historic event. The palace was Henry's favourite royal residence and his state apartments have been lavishly refurbished. There are daily re-enactments of the celebrations following his marriage to his sixth wife, Catherine Parr.

Hampton Court's enduring appeal lies in its ability to cater to a wide audience. Children love its famous maze, horticulturists swoon over its gardens and history buffs have access to an army of knowledgeable staff.

It is also a good base from which to explore the surrounding area. Central London is a 35-minute train ride away, and the likes of Richmond, Kew and Windsor are easily accessible from the nearby station.

All Landmark Trust properties have a logbook for guest comments and this is an invaluable source of recommendations for everything from restaurants to walks.

When it's time for us to relinquish our royal residence, I feel that telltale pang of sadness that marks the end of something special. The logbook entry by Charlotte Bell, who stayed in May 2004, sums up my experience: "These three days have created a memory that will last a lifetime."

IF YOU GO

Staying there: To book one of the Landmark Trust's 180 properties, you can use its handbook, which can be ordered online or by phoning 0044 1628 825 925. The handbook costs £10 ($22), plus postage and packing. Rentals vary according to the property and time of year. A weekend (Friday to Monday) in the Georgian House, which sleeps eight, costs from £910. A weekend in the trust's other property in the palace, Fish Court, which sleeps six, costs from £738. Click here for more information.

Rob McFarland travelled courtesy of the Landmark Trust and V Australia.