Defender Henry day 3

Defender Henry day 3 Michelham Priory and Lewes Travelling west from our stay in the medieval village of Lenham we arrived Michelham Priory deep in the woods north of Eastbourne in Sussex. The Priory was built in 1229 and has passed through many owners including Thomas Cromwell and Ann of Cleves, it still has some of it’s original features intact. There is a new Tudor wing added in the late 1500’s. It has the longest moat in England and today we saw a family of swans on the moat feeding peacefully and serenely.

There were four school parties working in the great tithe barn all the morning we were there. We able to view the house very quietly whilst they were all in the barn working, wandering around the grounds was a delight too. Moving on to the county town of Lewes, we first went to Lewes castle built by the Normans and dominating the countryside, we climbed the keep whilst another group of school students were in the courtyard below. On to Anne of Cleves house, the only one of her houses that is a museum open to the public and where we had a hugely entertaining talk and demonstration by Hands on History. As the name suggests you get your hands on history, actually touching and putting on armour and weapons together with every-day items such as leather tankards, wool clothing, cow horn jugs and bowls. The making of all these items were explained and who used them. Finally we walked to Lewes Priory that was destroyed by Thomas Cromwell in the dissolution and the place has been plundered for stone for centuries. The Priory was huge and the only parts of it are left standing. We paused for a few moments to help the police deal with a couple of youths who had climbed on the unstable walls of the ruins, the madness of youth I suppose but they go down and ran off. The day was finished off with a really great Indian curry and we retired for the night at the White Hart hotel.

Defender Henry day 2

Defender Henry day 2 We set of from Tonbridge to the south coast and Dover castle, high on the famous white cliffs. The castle built in 1180 by Henry II, looked every bit the strong fortress in the summer sunshine with the union flag flying proudly over the battlements . The whole castle in 5 worlds in one, it has a Roman lighthouse, the tallest Roman structure standing in England. The Keep is set out as though Henry II was staying there. The great halls decked out in tapestries, wall hangings, furniture and feasting tables. From the top of the keep you can easily see the coast of France 22 miles away, large car ferries playing their trade across this narrow seaway. There’s medieval tunnels dating from 1200 to explore and Napoleonic tunnels too that have been upgraded through the centuries since then right up to the 1980’s. Finally there is the new exhibition of the WWII operation Dynamo, the evacuation of 338,000 men from the beaches of Dunkirk. Only the British could snatch a victory from the jaws of a defeat.

A short drive from Dover along the coast are the forts of Deal and Walmer castles. Only a mile apart and built in a hurry by Henry VIII in 1540 to protect this part of the coastline, they are both a similar clover leaf design but both are different today. Deal is very much the same as Henry would have known it and it was here the Anne of Cleves first set foot in England on her way to marry the King. She is to be credited with bringing the violin to England as well as keeping her head and as we shall see a little later was made a very wealthy woman. The feel of the place is very much as it was in 1540 being right on the beach and bristling with cannons. Walmer feels very different, it’s the residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque ports and has been lived in for far longer than Deal. Here the Duke of Wellington died and a couple of rooms are set in in his memory. There are gardens here on set out by The Queen Mother and the roses are beautiful, it must be a good year for roses. From Walmer e travelled inland to stay the night in a lovely village called Lenham in a hotel dating back to 1600’ and Queen Anne was known to have stayed here in 1702.

Defender Henry day 1

Day 1 Defender Henry tour We set out to journey south from the centre of London to the high Weald of Kent , the garden of England. Here we spent time at Hever castle the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and Penshurst Place, the home of the Sidney family for 450 years. The weather was fine and sunny after a few days period of intense rain so we were very pleased to walk around the splendid gardens of Hever castle in warm sunshine. The Italian gardens were in full bloom and roses of every colour were all over, every corner you turned around the colour was simply beautiful. The rose garden was superb and the aroma of scented roses was intoxicating. One flower bed was set out in red white and blue flowers to match the union flag and celebrate the jubilee. The Italian gardens were set out just over 100years ago by JJ Astor and a team of 9 gardeners maintain them in peak condition all year round. After lunch by the castle moat and looking at the fine honey coloured stone castle we set of only a few miles to Penshurst Place. Set in grand parkland, Penshurst has for me a special magic about it, I think because it has been in the ownership of the same family for 450 years that the place has a real soul. Henry VIII confiscated the place after he executed it’s owner at the time, the Duke of Buckingham. The house itself is much larger than Hever and the ground s are larger too. The walled garden area is an absolute delight to wander around, deep yew hedge rows hide so many surprises. You can walk through an archway and there’s a pond with water lilies and a fountain, walk through another and there’s an apple orchard, another reveals a knot garden. The pleasure just goes on and on but the real highlight is the new Jubilee walkway. Only opened on the 7th June to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee and it’s a magnificent piece of natural artwork. In full colour along its length, are flowers of all type, in fact the colours of the rainbow starting from red orange, yellow, blue to indigo it’s a real masterpiece. Both Hever and Penshurst were crown property for some time before being given to Anne of Cleves as part of the Divorce settlement. She did very well indeed out of not being married to Henry any more, as well as keeping her head. To me though, Penshurst is Elizabeth and Dudley, it was here that they both spent time on holiday and here it is that the famous La Volta painting is on display in the very room that the event took place.

six wives of One king day 10

Six wives of one king day 10 Our last day together started with a short drive of only 40 minutes along the south coast from Lewes to Arundel castle, the home of the Duke of Norfolk. It’s a castle on a grand scale and the very idea of a fairy tale castle, it’s the second largest inhabited castle in the country and has been a centre of the Howard family for centuries. It makes you want to dress up and just wander around the place in costume. There are gardens to wander around that were opened by Prince Charles in 2008, the layout of which was inspired by a portrait hanging in the castle drawing room. The castle has a Norman keep built with a commanding view of the whole of the Arun valley, the keep has many steps to get to the top but the effort is well worth it. There are medieval parts of the castle too with towers and rooms set out as it was hundreds of years ago. For the Tudor purists there are many portraits of the Howards on the walls and in a glass case almost missed are the pearl necklace and the gold girdle once owned by Mary Queen of Scots. The 4th Duke lost his head for plotting to marry her without permission for Elizabeth I. The Duke is the hereditary Earl Marshall of England and is responsible for the organisation of all state occasions and he must have been very busy over the jubilee weekend. The Duke’s diary was on display and open for the 2 &3rd of June 1953, it simply said 'Coronation'. On display in the Great hall are the retired helms of the order of the Garter, that means when a member of the order passes away his or her helm in St Georges chapel Windsor are retired and taken down and kept for ever. The Duke, as the Earl Marshall has the responsibility to keep them safe, where better than in a large castle. On to London for our last night grand banquet in a medieval crypt at St Katherine’s dock near the Tower of London. It’ s great fun with music and performers, jugglers and some very good sword fighting in the crypt. Where else can you get to dress up and meet King Henry VIII for some royal entertainment? Our final night together was in a boutique hotel in Kensington near to Hyde Park, the V&A museum and Kensington Palace.

six wives of One King day 9

Day 9 Michelham and Lewes Whilst travelling through the high Weald to East Sussex we stopped for a cup of tea at Pooh corner. Yes, Winnie the Pooh is real, he lives in Hartfield, all the places in the books are real places and you can have a long walk around Ashdown Forrest see them including Pooh sticks bridge. On to East Sussex where at Michelham priory we had a very peaceful few hours wandering around the house and grounds. Michelham was due for destruction during the dissolution but when Thomas Cromwell saw it he kept it and paid just a peppercorn in rent to the King. It was later given to Anne of Cleves and she received a proper rent for it. We had a really simple but savoury picnic of Cheese bread and one of our group had bought some mead, it went down very well indeed. From Michelham we travelled to Lewes the county town of East Sussex to Anne of Cleves house, yes she really did very well out of the divorce. At Anne of Cleves house we were entertained by Hands on History talk and demonstration of Tudor weapons, armour and everyday objects. We have been seeing things like this all week but either behind a rope or in a glass case but this time we got up close and personal. Some of our group were able to put on armour and helmets of the period. We were also able to handle everyday objects such as drinking horns and horn bowls. One highlight though was being able to handle and smell a prayer book that was form the late 1th early 14th century, a prayer book probably 700 years old. We finished the night with an Indian curry at a restaurant near to the White Hart Hotel. The White Hart is a Tudor coaching inn and is steeped in history being where Thomas Paine debated the Rights of man.

Six wives of One King day 8

Day 8 Hever castle & Penshurst place Today we travelled out of London into the Kent the garden of England, to the town of Tonbridge and where the Australian Olympic team will be staying before the Games in London. Just a few miles away is Hever castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Hever had it’s most beautiful face on today as the sun shone and the gardens were in full bloom. JJ Astor renovated the castle and saved it for posterity and I think he did a pretty fine job of it. The Italian garden is superb just to walk around and there is plenty for everyone to do and see here. There are some real historical objects here like Anne Boleyn’s prayer book and some portraits too. Together with some tapestries the collection is worth seeing. Just outside the gate in the Church lies Anne Boleyn’s father though rather curiously the sig says the Grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I. From Hever we went to Penshurst Place the home of the Sidney family for over 450 years. Both these places were given to Anne of Cleves as part of the Divorce settlement so she did alright out of it. Penshurst has a huge walled garden with an apple orchard, a fish pond, a theatre stage, beautifully kept flower borders and an Elizabethan garden. All these lead up to a grand view of the west side of the house and in the sunshine it just glows a golden honey colour. Penshurst is where a great many of the period films are made as not only does the house look fantastic there are no other buildings in the background that look out of place from the period. We recreated the scene form Anne of a thousand days in the garden where Anne Boleyn comes up to Henry who is taking with Cardinal Wolsey and says (somethng like)“My Lord Cardinal I Think you have more Titles than my lord the King” it took us two takes and we still didn’t get it right. Taking our leave of Penshurst we spent the night in old Tudor coaching Inn in Tonbridge, but no leper pit.

six wives of One King day 7

Day 7 Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. Just a short ride on the tube to Westminster Abbey and see inside the Nations’ Parish Church. The Abbey holds many treasures and more sovereigns than anywhere else. There is Elizabeth I and her half sister Mary in the same tomb. Mary Queen of Scots lies opposite the Lady Chapel in a much grander tomb. Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, Henry V & Edward the Confessor are all in suitably grand or venerable tombs. Anne of Cleves is the odd one out she just has a simple epitaph written in gold letters in a wall near Poets corner. We travelled by river boat on the Thames from Westminster to the Tower of London along the same route to traitors’ gate that Elizabeth I and Catherine Howard travelled. The Tower is not just one Tower, everybody thinks that the White Tower is the Tower but there are a number of others that hold significant items if history. Prisoners form the Tudor period created elaborate graffiti whilst awaiting execution or freedom. The Jewel Tower holds an exhibition of the making of the Crown Jewels, but there was a little bit missing so I asked the staff member on duty where the Cullinan diamond was, he took us up a closed staircase to have a private look at the copy of the largest rough diamond ever found and the one that provided the largest ever cut diamond that lies in the state Sceptre on display in the Crown Jewel. That diamond has the power to mesmerise, I think it’s almost alive and twinkles away under the glass. We had dinner at the Globe theatre overlooking followed by an experience that will live long in the memory. As part of the Globe to Globe festival, w were here to see the Merchant of Venice....in Hebrew!!. by an Israeli theatre group. The security was intense, huge numbers of Police and security guards were present just in case there was any disruption. Full baggage search and x-ray machines were in the foyer and also stewards were inside the theatre, big chaps that I wouldn’t like to tangle with. In the event there were 12 ejections during the performance but that didn’t halt the flow of the play. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t understand exactly what was being said there was a couple of message boards that kept you informed of the gist of what was going on.