tudorhistorytours

Framlingham Castle

2011-06-28T03:45:00.000-07:00

Deep in the heart of the Suffolk countryside lies the village of Framlingham, not a remarkable village really; it has a market square, a couple of pubs, a hotel, some old buildings and an even older church.

The village does have a remarkable castle though, not only is it the first castle built in England without a Keep in the 12th century, it has a high curtain wall 2.5 metres thick and 13 towers linked by a high connecting walkway instead. It looks quite peculiar as all of the towers have high ornate Tudor chimneys which most fulfil no purpose at all but to simply make the castle look a bit like a stately home instead of a castle. The place was besieged by King John in 1216 but the siege was the shortest of the Barons war lasting only two days before surrendering.

But the most remarkable thing about the castle is that for a brief few days in 1553 it was the centre of the armed struggle for the succession to the Tudor throne.

Edward VI, died on July 9th and reneged on his father’s will to have Mary in the line of succession and named Protestant Lady Jane Grey as the rightful heir. The Duke of Northumberland proclaimed Jane Queen at Syon house on the Thames. Mary was in East Anglia and was urged to flee the country, but other supporters persuaded her to stay and many flocked to her banner at Framlingham, Mary marched on London on July 24th and the rest as they say is History.

Right next to the castle is the Church of St Michael, itself quite remarkable inside. It was Edward VI himself who ordered the completion in 1553. The building is unusual because little church construction was being carried out at this time of great uncertainty. Inside lie the tombs of several main Characters from the Tudor period. Henry Fitzroy, Henry VIII bastard son, The 3rd Duke of Norfolk, uncle to both Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Henry Earl of Surrey “The Poet Earl” this tomb wouldn’t be out of place at Westminster Abbey it is that ornate.

There are the two wives of the 4th Duke of Norfolk in one tomb, he lost his head when plotting to marry Mary Queen of Scots, and their effigies are set apart with a large space in the middle. It has been suggested that the large space between the effigies was reserved for Norfolk's third wife or himself or even perhaps Mary Queen of Scots. We know where Mary Queen of Scots did lie at Peterborough and now lies in Westminster Abbey. Conjecture is a fascinating argument for the Tudors.

These two places of Tudor history puts Framlingham firmly on the must see list for the Tudor enthusiasts.

Blickling Hall

2011-06-28T01:43:00.000-07:00

Tudor Festival

In between rain showers, Blickling Hall in north Norfolk put on it’s finest show in this weekend Tudor festival. There was Henry and all his wives parading in their fabulous costumes and, a real treat, little Edward looking every inch a future king in his red robes too. There was archery, gunfire, falconry and apothecary, spinning craft, needlework and an executioner to keep the crowd entertained.

A main feature was a large log roasting fire that was roasting the King’s dinner of beef what else?
The King was entertained during his dinner by a juggler and fire breather and the crowd were suitable impressed by the group of musicians all the while providing a background of period music.

Blickling Hall is the birthplace of Ann Boleyn though she wouldn’t much recognise the place now as it was completely remodelled in 1629. It now has high gable facades all around the house but it’s Tudor heart remains quite distinct. Many high typically Tudor ornate brick chimney stacks on the central core of the building can be seen high above any of the Jacobean facades and gives the building a dignified look of power and money. The Tudor stables are still here on both side of the impressive driveway up to the main front door of the house, with the visitor centre and café in one arm and offices in the other.

The grounds and gardens are huge and a delight to walk around, there was a wedding on the day in the Orangery so the bridal party had to walk through the gardens to get there. Also there was a Shakespeare’s “Midsummer nights dream” being played at night with the house frontage as a backdrop but we couldn’t stay for the performance.

A really good place to visit and if you combine it with other places in the area you can have a fine cultural weekend.

Lewes and Michelham

2011-06-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

Day 12
Our last full day together, beginning with a stroll around this medieval county town of Lewes to see the Norman castle and town museum, there was a short film about the town from pre Roman times right up to the present era and the Bonfire tradition see www.lewesbonfirecouncil.org.uk for some amazing scenes of costumed torchlight parades through the town. The castle is mostly ruins but you can climb up the top of the keep and are rewarded by superb views over the South Downs and the river Ouse Valley.

Anne of Cleves House given to her as part of the divorce settlement is a small place, a Weald hall house and it contains the Sussex Past exhibitions of Iron Making, and of general life in the town, the kitchen is set out as it would have been in 1540. There was a small school group there in the top floor being taught how the place was constructed.

The ruins of Lewes Priory are there to walk around. This priory was singled out by Thomas Cromwell, he employed an Italian engineer to blow it up, and it was a huge place with a church bigger than Peterborough Cathedral and was a wealthy place for the Abbot.

On to Michelam Priory about 12 miles away, this priory was looked at by Cromwell but he decided he wanted it, instead of blowing it up. It was also given to Anne of Cleves as part of the divorce settlement. It has suffered from neglect in the past but the chairman of P&O Shipping bought the place after WWII and gave it to the Sussex Archaeological Society to have and maintain and they have done a good job since then to preserve the place.

On to London where we stayed at our final Hotel The Gore in Kensington they have many themed rooms among them is the Judy garland room, You can sleep in the very bed once owned by Judy and yes the Ruby slippers are there too.

Our final event and meal together was a Tudor Banquet in St Katherine’s Dock right by the Tower of London. The evening comes complete with entertainment, jugglers, singers, dancers, sword fights and of course Henry VIII himself. Just shout wench and a jug of beer will appear on the table, it was hugely entertaining and enjoyable last evening together.

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Arundel Castle

2011-06-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

Day 10 Arundel castle

Today we had a nice gentle start with a scenic detour drive to Hartfield East Sussex the home of “Winnie ther Pooh” ( check the spelling in the book.) and we stopped off at Pooh Corner ( a shop dedicated to all things Winnie). Yes all the places in the book are real! And some of our party bought the rules of Pooh sticks from the shop.

We then stopped at Gills Lapp on Ashdown Forrest to see some of the real places from Winnie ther Pooh, the Enchanted Place and the Heffalump trap. They are real places I to visit so is Pooh Bridge but we didn’t have time to go there. Not exactly Tudor, but great fun to see these places anyway.

Arundel castle is the very image of a great and imposing fortress and was the inspiration behind a great Gothic novel “Gormenghast” by Mervyn Peake. It is home to the Duke of Norfolk, the premier Catholic family in England and the heriditary Earl Marshall of England (that means he is responsible for all state occasions) The Castle is just huge with a great Norman keep, a classic great hall, medieval parts and an English Civil war display as the castle was besieged at that time. There are also some private bedrooms, a great library and some dynastic portraits. It also has on display the necklace and girdle that belonged to Mary Queen of Scots.

The 3rd Duke was uncle to both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both executed wives of Henry VIII , the Duke was also due to meet the executioner but Henry died the night before his appointment with the block. The 4th Duke was executed by Elizabeth for plotting to marry Mary Queen of Scots.

We are staying at The Whiter Hart in Lewes the County town of East Sussex and where Thomas Paine wrote and debated “ The Rights of Man”. It was here on the terrace with a fabulous sunlit view of the South Downs that we had a talk and a weapons demonstration from “ Hands on History” a partner company that specialises in Historic detail on weapons and ordinary life.

It was hugely entertaining and one of our party got dressed up in armour, the full helmet and gauntlets too. Everybody got to feel and touch all the weapons and armour that we had been seeing all week but behind glass display cabinets. Weapons included the classic English war bow with a variety of arrow types , the cavalry sabre, the mace, the rapier and the war hammer.

Also there were samples of everyday materials and animal products such as a horn drinking vessel, animal sinew, sheeps wool, silk, hemp for rope making and a complete fox fur.

We had terrific curry dinner at a local Indian restaurant only a few minutes walk from the hotel, amazingly one of our party had not eaten curry before.

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Hever & Penshurst

2011-06-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Day9 Hever & Penshurst

Today we drive south out of London to the high Weald of Kent to Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn deep in the heart of Kent. Hever, is a great place to visit with huge ornamental gardens and lake built by JJ Astor in the early 1900’s.

The castle itself is very small but packed with paintings, tapestries and furniture together with Henry VIII and all the six wives costumes. One of the most curious paintings is of Elizabeth I but it appears to have been doctored with a huge ruff that frames her face. The painting also looks very much like a painting of Lady Jane Grey we saw at Syon house at the beginning of the tour, I would love to see the painting x-rayed to see if it has been doctored at all.

There were lots of school parties around the place and most of the boys were just looking for the torture room. Hever features in nearly all the Tudor period films and TV series, there is one scene in Anne of a Thousand days where Henry and Anne ride out of the castle over a low grassy hill. It looks very real except the grassy hill bit.

A great deal of filming of period pieces takes place at nearby Penshurst place, many scenes from Anne of a thousand days and the other Boleyn Girl were filmed there. Penshurst has been in the Sidney family for 500 years. Both of the great houses were given to Anne of Cleves as part of the divorce settlement and Elizabeth I stayed here a great deal, so much so that she neglected ruling the country. It is here we find the famous “La Volta” painting. To me it shows very real evidence of the close and intimate relationship between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley, you’ll have to see it for yourselves to see what I mean.

Tonight we’re staying in the Rose and Crown in Tonbridge and after dinner we had a gentle stroll around the ancient Norman castle of Tonbridge which is just opposite.

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Westminster Abbey & The Tower of London

2011-06-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

Day7 London Town.

The centre of London is easy to get around on the tube network, the nearest station to the Mad Hatters hotel is Southwark and just one stop away is Westminster Abbey. Steeped in the nation’s history for 1000 years, the abbey has been the coronation site for all our sovereigns since Edward the Confessor, William the conqueror was also crowned here hastily Christmas 1066.

There have been many royal weddings here and the last one was Prince William and Catherine Middleton in April of this year. There is a superb photo exhibition of the event in the chapter house, very good quality and very large prints. A very happy event for the young couple and the nation.

The Abbey also contains the tombs of 10 of our Sovereigns, including Edward the Confessor, Henry V. Henry VII and his queen Elizabeth of York lay together in the Lady chapel. Elizabeth I and her sister Mary lay side by side in a small chapel off the Lady chapel. Mary Queen of Scots now lies in a huge Gothic tomb much grander than Elizabeth on the other side of the Lady Chapel. She was at Peterborough Cathedral but her son James I had her moved to London at the start of the Stuart Dynasty.

After a magnificent State funeral, Anne of Cleves lies here under the main alter stage in a tomb somewhat hard to find with only some small gold lettering to mark her resting place. She outlived all the wives and was a wealthy woman as a result of the Divorce from Henry VIII.

A boat journey down the river Thames takes us right to Traitors Gate, we see it from the water level just as Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard would have seen it before they entered the Tower of London.

Another historic site steeped in the nation’s History, the Tower of London is a huge area in the centre of London and has many splendid exhibitions and things to see. The Crown Jewels, the Bloody Tower, the White Tower and the scaffold site, where only 8 people have been executed, three of which were Queens of England, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey.

We had dinner at the Swan at the Globe only 10 minutes walk along the Thames from the hotel and after saw “Much ado about Nothing” one of Shakespeare’s great comedies. It was rip roaringly funny and this reconstruction of the famous theatre means that you are so close to the action that you are almost part of the cast. A great way to finish a busy day.

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Peterborough and Cambridge

2011-06-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

Day 6 Peterborough Cathedral & Cambridge
Up early today for a short drive to Peterborough Cathedral for a group tour to see the last resting place of Catherine of Aragon. The Cathedral is one of the most magnificent buildings in England, there has been a church on this site since the year 649. It has a fantastic painted roof in the knave and has huge columns supporting the roof.

Catherine of Aragon rests under a simple slab and in the 19th century all women called Catherine were asked to make a small donation to fund a suitable memorial to a much loved queen of England. We all placed a sprig of rosemary we took from the knot garden at Buckden Towers on the black marble slab, where there were also a few pomegranates laid in memory of her . We had a memorable tour of the cathedral with our guide for the morning who gave us a great deal more information and stories on the founding and characters of this great church.

On to Cambridge where we visited Kings College chapel in my view the Greatest of Henry VIII’s building legacies. There is a guide book just for the great stained glass windows alone. The building just has to be the most fantastic I have visited and it has many unique features, the first being the largest fan vaulted roof and in the side exhibition there is a model of how it is constructed. Evidence of two of Henry’s wives are to be found here, Anne Boleyn’s initials are carved on the provost stall now why were they left here when all evidence of her has just about completely removed. High up in the east window we can see Katherine’s initials above the red dragon of Wales.

Also to be found carved on the quire stalls are some Tudor roses the 5 petal distinctive rose we find anywhere. However as I found out on a couple of weeks ago at Tong church (see an earlier blog) sitting there amid all this fine carving sits a Tudor rose not with the five petals but with a smiley face, I kid you not, even the curator was unaware that it existed.

On to London, pausing for a few minutes and chasing around Kings Cross station we eventually found platform 9 and ¾ and we all took posed photos. We’re staying for the next two nights at the Mad Hatters Hotel right near the Thames at Blackfriars Bridge. It used to be a hat factory and it’s has location only a few minutes walk from the Globe Theatre. We had Fish and chips at the George Inn the oldest galleried pub in London where Shakespeare played before he built the Globe theatre.

We had a gentle stroll to the pub and back again taking in some of the landmarks that Charles Dickens would have known as a child, including Nancy’s steps, the only bit of wall left from the Marshallsea prison and Southwark Cathedral.

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Catherine of Aragon day

2011-06-07T01:25:00.000-07:00

Day 6 Kenilworth & Catherine of Aragon day
Kenilworth Castle was the scene of the greatest party in Tudor times. The summer progress of 1571 when Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester spent millions in today’s money and three weeks trying to persuade Queen Elizabeth to marry him, all to no avail.
The castle is a ruin now blown up by Cromwell’s troops during the English Civil War but still gives the feeling of power and majesty. The gate house is habitable and houses a good exhibition of that Royal progress together with the story of the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, Robert Dudley’s first wife who was found dead at the foot of a flight of steps.

We had two private tours today one at Buckden Towers where Catherine of Aragon was held before being moved to Kimbolton. Buckden is a shining jewel in the Tudor world, Red brick built and with battlements too. The place is a Claritian missionary centre since the 1950’s and they have kept the historic faith of the importance that it’s association with Catherine of Aragon. The friends of Buckden have recreated the privvy knot garden that Catherine would have walked in. Our thanks go to the friends of Buckden and we hope to see you again soon.

Our second private tour was at Kimbolton where Catherine of Aragon spent the last twenty months of her life and subsequently died. Kimbolton is now a school and only opens for special appointments and we are grateful for the opportunity to stand in the room where Catherine died and is said to haunt. The place was remodelled in the 1700’s rather like Syon house the first place we visited on tour. Our driver for the day wanted the post code to program his Sat Nav (GPS)” just go to the village you can’t miss it.” As we drove around the bend into the village he said “ I see what you mean” the place is huge and dominates the village from the far end of the main street.

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Sudeley Castle & Coughton Court

2011-06-05T00:42:00.000-07:00

Day 5 Sudeley Castle, Stratford on Avon and Coughton Court.
Today the weather has cooled down a bit so walking around is very pleasant. Sudeley Castle was first today, the home of Catherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII. She died here a week after childbirth when she was married to Thomas Seymour and she is laid to rest in the church next to the castle in a splendid tomb quiet befitting of a Queen of England.

The Castle was destroyed by Cromwell’s troops during the Civil War and stayed a ruin until it was rescued by the present owner’s descendents in the early 1800’s. Presently there are costumes from David Starkey’s six wives of Henry VIII TV series. There’s also a new exhibition made for children that shows the visit of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

Sudeley has beautiful grounds and an amazing collection of peacocks from all round the world. It was here, somewhere in the grounds, that Thomas Seymour took advantage of a young Princess Elizabeth when she was about 14 years old, it was in fact child abuse and Catherine finally sent Elizabeth away.

On to Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, just so see the houses where he was born and died. All in the group said that there were too many tourists n the town so we only really viewed the house where he died. There is an archaeological dig going on to excavate and find out more about the house. The artefacts they have found are on display in the house.

On to Coughton Court ( pronounced coat-en) the home of the Throckmorton family for 600 years. The house is simply a magnificent example of what can be preserved when one family owns the same property for generations. The Throckmorton’s are a catholic family and were involved in many intrigues during the Tudor period culminating in the Gunpowder plot and there are many priest holes about the place.
Bess Throckmorton got married to Sir Walter Raleigh, much to Queen Elizabeth’s displeasure and was banished here form court. After Raleigh was executed in the Tower Bess was said to have carried his head around for the next 25 years of her life. In the yellow drawing room they have a head in a canvass bag under the table just to scare the visitors.

The real heart of the place is the chemise worn by Mary Queen of Scots when she was executed, the gown has been carbon dated and is of the correct date and if you catch the light correctly there are stains visible. Right next to this is the Bishops gown actually made by Catherine of Aragon and her ladies. Again the gown has been authenticated. It is a magnificent piece of work and was found in one of the priest holes by pure chance when some renovation work was being carried out. It gives me a quick heartbeat just to look at this work held by a beloved Queen of England.

We stayed the night in an old coaching inn, Milsoms Hotel in Old Kenilworth built in 1538 around an Oak tree. We had dinner right across the street in even an older pub called the Famous Virgins and castle.

Windsor & Oxford

2011-06-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

Day 4 Windsor & Oxford

A free morning to wander around this Royal town on a sunny morning or watch the changing of the Guard ceremony at Windsor castle. The guards were magnificent in their scarlet tunics and the band played the “Great Escape” as they come out of the castle.

On to the University town of Oxford with many famous colleges. Christ Church College formally called cardinal college after Cardinal Wolsey. Henry VIII changed the name after Wolsey failed to get the divorce he wanted. Many famous people have been to Christ Church among them, a certain Charles Dodgson or more famously known as Lewis Carol, author of Alice in Wonderland. One of the windows in the Great Hall has been created in the 1970’s to show all the characters from the Alice tales. The Great Hall was also where Michele Obama gave a speech to some schoolgirls last week.

Magdalen a college, features a previous student, a young Thomas Wolsey. The chapel has all superb sepia stained glass windows which is very unusual if not unique. Also in Oxford is the memorial to the Martyrs Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, burned at the stake by bloody Queen Mary.

On to Tewkesbury to stay the night in the Tudor House hotel dating from 1540 and where the Pilgrim Fathers stayed before embarking for the new world. We had a splendid dinner in the hotel dining room finished off with port and stilton.

Hampton Court Palace and Windsor

2011-06-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Day 3-

Hampton Court Palace, perhaps the most famous palace in the English speaking world, was our first visit today. We got there just after the door opened and we were the only people in the Great Hall so great was the silence in that ancient hall that we were whispering to each other so as not to break the magic spell of the moment.

The place is just vast and plenty to see and watch with many exhibitions and paintings of the Tudor period. The Palace was owned by Cardinal Wolsey until Henry VIII one day being rowed by said to Wolsey what a nice place you have here. Wolsey, who was spending lavishly and so much so that the Palace outshone anything Henry had. He gave the Palace to Henry as a gift which was very generous but Wolsey was a very wealthy man.

There was a new series of playlets put on, this time it was the King’s marriage to Catherine Howard and to see them puts the children in awe of the man and place. You are encouraged to shout “God save the King “ a lot. The actors are very entertaining and engage the crowd a lot, we had to leave before the end of the day to travel to Windsor castle.

Windsor the home of our present Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II and the largest inhabited castle in the world. It’s huge but you only get to see the State apartments, we got there just as the gates were closing so we went through with the last wave of visitors.

Some rooms were crowded and some were empty but the real Tudor heart are the portraits of Henry VIII Mary Elizabeth and James. The Dynastic portrait with Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn , the Field of the cloth of Gold. That last one has a new head of Henry VIII sewn into the painting and when the light is on it looks very peculiar.

We had dinner at a family run Greek Restaurant called Latinos and a very nice full table meze for everybody. We’re staying tonight at the Sir Christopher Wrens House hotel right on tye Thames under the ramparts of the castle.

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The Vyne and Syon House

2011-06-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

Day 2.
The Vyne near Basingstoke is a really fine example of a Tudor mansion and has two very important pieces of history here. It has been remodelled in the 1700’s but it still retains the fine oak panelling in the long gallery with many unique carvings. Some are of Henry VII some are Catherine of Aragon’s pomegranate. There are some to Sir Thomas More and Bishop Fox and the detail is really intricate.

The other important feature are the stained glass windows in the chapel. The windows feature Henry and Catherine of Aragon and initially were in a church nearby but were taken down and hidden in a pond during the civil war to prevent Cromwell’ s troops from destroying them. They are both kneeling praying to the relative patron saints and fit the chapel beautifully.

I always talk to the room guides as there are usually snippets of information to be gathered. This time it was the very name of the Vyne I found out. It seems that when the Romans were in England in the year 400 there was a settlement here and they planted the very first grapevines in England so it’s been called the Vyne ever since.

On to Syon House, the home of the Duke of Northumberland for 500 years. Henry V laid the foundations in 1415 and devoted the Abbey to the Priory of Syon. This house is very important in Tudor terms. Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen here in the Long Gallery, The house has been remodeeled in the 1700's and the gallery has had it’s original panelling removed but if you keep in your mind’s eye the long gallery at the Vyne then that fateful day 500 years ago can be relived. Catherine Howard was held here on her way to the Tower of London after her arrest. Catherine of Aragon came here often to pray when it was an Abbey and Anne Boleyn railed against the Abbess and the Nuns for their “wanton incontinence”

Henry VIII’s funeral cortege stopped here on it’s way to Windsor and the coffin leaked during the night and his entrails fell over the floor that were eaten by a dog, Thus fulfilling and earlier prophecy ...Yeuk!

We had dinner at the Swan Inn right on the river Thames at Staines and we stayed at the Anne Boleyn Hotel just across the street for the Swan in The Hythe Staines a quiet little street in a conservation area.

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Houses of Parliament

2011-06-01T14:10:00.001-07:00

Hats off to our latest guests, one of whom expressed an idea to visit the Houses of Parliament pre tour. So with grateful thanks to our Local Member, our Guests arrived on long haul flights early in the morning and went straight into the palace of Westminster.

It was really interesting, the last time I went to Westminster I was 14 years old and went on a school trip. Now with very different eyes we got to go to the very heart of Govenment and see the behind the scenes stuff that is the every day workday houses of Parliament.

Parliament wasn't sitting so we went into the main chambers of the Lords and Commons and they are both much smaller than they look on the TV and a very intimate places.

The building is not really that old, built in the 1840's but the great hall of Westminster is medieval and steeped in History and continues to be the place where things happen. Only last week the president of the United States gave a speech to both houses together. In Tudor terms it was where Thomas more was tried and condemned to death as was King Charles I.

All in all a good pre tour visit.

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Tong Church

2011-05-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yes there is a village called Tong and it has a church. Or to name it correctly,The Collegiate Church of St Bartholomew, Tong, built in 1409

It is is one of those fantastic wow finds of the whole year. We were just driving along from the Old Hall at Moseley to Lilleshall Abbey ruins and it just appeared sitting there on a little hill. What drew our attention was it's impressive looks from the outside with battlement style high walls with buttreses and a low roof, a central square tower that changes shape to octagonal above the roofline and the octagonal tower is topped off by a squat spire.

It is inside that the marvel hits you, it's like a mini cathedral with Gothic tombs and a magnificent two and a half ton great bell. The revelations just keep leaping out at us everywhere we looked. One of the tombs was Sir Henry Vernon (died1515) who was the guardian of Prince Arthur when he was learning the art of Kingship at Ludlow about 35 miles away. Another tomb has an authenticated poem written by Shakespeare
" ask who lies here but do not weep, he is not dead he doth but sleep......"

There is another tomb in the golden chapel added in 1510 undamaged by Cromwells troops, still with the original painting on the stonework, yet another has a brass plate showing the first time an Elephant was enscribed in England. The engraver had never seen one and refused to believe the description of an animal that could be so large, so he made one dog sized to go at the masters feet.

One last tomb, or more precise the grave of Little Nell, from Charles Dickens Old Curiosity shop, is in the graveyard. Charles Dickens' Grandmother was house keeper at the local castle and it is said that the Character of little Nell is based on his wife's sister who died when she was 17. The Old Curiosity shop was in the village, but did little Nell really exist?.

The verger took us up to the bell tower to look at the great bell and also showed us some of fine detailed carvings around the choir and a little secret that I willbe following up at Kings College Cambridge in a few weeks.

Outside the Church, on the north side the wall peppered with musket and cannonball shots particularly around one window, relics from the civil war, which it whay it's surprising that the interior of the chapels are in such good condition.

A truly surprising visit and one to be repeated I think when we are next in that part of the country.

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Moseley Old Hall

2011-05-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

Being in the same family for over 400 years has given Moseley Old Hall a special character of it's own. It looks late Victorian due the brick outer facade but the odd thing looking at it is the high brick Tudor Chimneys and that gives it away as something much older.

The timber frame house was built in the late 1500's and was inherited by Alice Codsall who married a man called Whitgreave in 1602. It then passed through the direct line until 1925 when it was given over to the National Trust. The house is in good state of repair now and set out as it would have been in 1651.

It was Thomas Whitgreave in September of 1651 that the most famous member of the family came to be called the Preserver. It was a rainy night when the King came to shelter at Moseley, on the run for his life from Parliamentary forces. Thomas took him in, fed him and let him sleep in a bed that is still there in the same room today.

Our Costumed guide took us through that fateful night, and it sounds like a great manhunt failed to net the prize. Parliamentary troops called when the King was upstairs and beat poor Thomas but was he never asked outright if the King was there so he didn't offer the information.

The King escaped the next day on his way to try and get a ship in Bristol, The manhunt lasted 42 days before the King escaped from the coast of Sussex on a boat to France.

The House has it's priest hole where the King hid and a peculiar chapel on the second floor, all the floorboards squeak and there is not a straight line wall or floor anywhere. A great place and a small but beautiful garden.

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Boscobel House

2011-05-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Built in the late 1500's and extended in the 1630's, Boscobel House is a timber framed hunting lodge. The outbuildings and dairy farm were used right up until the 1960s as a working farm. All the cow stalls and ceamery are still there.

A house of this period does of course contain priest holes, the hiding places that were life savers for Catholic priests. The timber framed parts of the house have all warped over the centuries and the floorboards are warped too, so that you can't walk about without finding a squeak. It has a lovely little Chapel set on the top floor.

In fact, pretty a setting as it is, there is little to distinguish it from other properties, except for 2 nights in September 1651 when King Charles II fled here after losing the battle of Worcester. It is also here that the famous Royal Oak stands or stood.

The King first came to nearby Whiteladies Priory, an Augustian Nunnery that was dissovled and sold in 1538 by Henry VIII and now a ruins. The King was looked after by the 5 Penderel brothers who conducted him to Boscobel House.

The King spent the day hiding in the nearby famous Oak Tree with a major Careless. An event that resonates down to us as all over the country there are pubs called the Royal Oak. The tree actually no longer exists but a daughter tree has stood for a couple of hundred tears on the spot and got hit by lightning so unfortunately has suffered, a new sapling was planted, a grand daughter tree that now grows healthilly.

Upon the retoration of the Monarchy 9 years later the King never forgot those who helped him, the Penderel brothers were given a pension that is still paid to their descendents to this day.

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The Great Escape- day one

2011-05-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

You could call the Holiday weekend tour the Great Escape or Where did the Catholics go?

The Great Escape was the flight of King Charles II in September of 1651 after he lost the battle of Worcester about 40 miles away and we followed his flight through the West Midlands. All the places we visited were also prominant recusant catholic families and the great houses had a number of Priest holes, where Priests and the King himself were hidden when the troops came crashing in the door.

Pausing in Wolverhampton on the way to see Monty Python's Spamalot live on stage,(a peculiarly British sense of humour) we also saw the house where one of the signatories to the US Declaration of Independence lived, a Mr Button Gwinnet who represented Georgia, an odd name but he lived there none the less as there is a blue plaque on the wall.

The first place on our trip to find out where the Catholics went, was Baddesley Clinton, a very peculiar name, but is the name of the village and near Warwick 7 miles away. The house is a stone built, fully moated square manor house dating back to the 1300's and was in the Ferrer family ownership for 500 years up to the 1920's. It has a beautiful and peaceful inner courtyard with the building on three sides and the fourth side open to the moat giving a supeb view out over the farmland.

Baddesley Clinton has no less than 3 priest holes hidden around the house, the last one was used for real in 1591, the Elizabethan Era. A numer of recusant families in the area secretly paid for priests to be educated abroad and travel about secretly administering to the flock. Danger of discovery was ever present and the priest holes were literally life savers.

The House also has a large tapestry hanging in a upstairs room that is said to be the scene from the Summer of 1575 at Kenilworth about 8 miles away, when Robert Dudley entertained Queen Elizabeth on that glorious grand progress. It shows Dudley and Elizabeth walking around the privy garden that he created to try and persuade her to marry him.

A most foul murder was committed here in 1485, the blood stains are still on the floorboards. The owner came home to see his wife having rather too close attention paid to her by the local clergyman. A good story and a place well worth a visit.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

The Royal Wedding

2011-05-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

What a weekend for Britain! We had such a party to celebrate the Marraige of Prince William and Catherine. Half the nation watched it on TV and it was marvelous event for the Royal couple and the nation. I hope that some of you 2 billion people around the world didn't get up at some ungodly hour to watch the whole thing. That's a third of the population of the entire planet watched the pomp and majesty of the occasion.

Now a couple of points worth noting, It's traditional that the the bride's bouquet gets placed on the grave of the unknown soldier at Westminster Abbey and it's there now on a white cushion. The crowds would have died down a bit before our next visit to London and will still be there.
Second, the Wedding dress will be put on display, probably at Buckingham Palace in the next couple of weeks.

We used the Holiday weekend to go on a short trip to the West Midlands to see some Tudor treasures and found some extraordinary surprises along the way. See our next series of blog entries to find out where we went.

www.Tudorhistorytours.com

The final day

2011-04-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

The last day of our tour has come.... ahhhh. Today we went to Arundel castle, the home of the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl Marshall of England and the premier Catholic family fo England.

The 3rd Duke was uncle to both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard and he was also due to lose his head but Henry VIII died the day before. The fourth Duke did lose his head though for planning to marry Mary Queen of Scots. Two of the exhibits were Mary's girdle and pearl necklace. The castle is magnificent, built by the Normans in 1068 and has been added to ever since right up to the Victorian era.

For the final event together we went to a Tudor banquet in some catacombs right next to the Tower of London. It was a great show, music, dancing, juggling and sword fighting. Wenches served us all night and King Henry VIII was there too. All in all a great way to end ten nights together on a quest to find the Six Wives of One King.

Anne of Cleves and Thomas Cromwell

2011-04-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the adjectives changed from amazing to interesting as we visited Michelam Priory and the county town of Lewes, where there is Anne of Cleves house and Lewes Priory.

First though we diverted slightly and stopped at Pooh Corner on Ashdown Forest the home of Winnie the Pooh. All the places in the childrens books are real and exist, Owls house, the heffalump trap and especially Pooh Bridge where yes we did play pooh sticks!

On to Tudor matters, Michelam Priory in Sussex is a lovely little place that was built pre Tudor and was appropriated by Thomas Cromwell because he liked it, so he didn't blow it up, latterly Anne of Cleves received the rents from the place. She also received a good income from her house in Lewes. Anne of Cleves house is an old Weald hall timbered house. It was closed for a while because Sussex Past have carrying out some conservation works but it's now open and in good reapir.

Lewes Priory on the other hand was particulary singled out by Cromwell, he engaged an Italian Engineer to blow the place up completely and left a pile of rubble. The ruins have been stabilised and are now open again with new information boards.

We had a very informative and interesting talk in the evening by Hands on History, who brought some armour and weapons to hold and try out, together with other artifacts from beeswax and horn to a 14th century Psalter, a hand written prayer book, we have seen them in glass cases all week but we got to to touch and smell the parchment. very interesting!

The Two Annes

2011-04-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

What a difference a day makes! today we came south out of London to Kent and the weather has been fantastic, really hot for this time of year 22 C

We went in search of Anne of Cleves and Anne Boleyn at Penshurst Place and Hever Castle. Penshurst Place has been the venue for many period films as a stand-in for Hever and other places, I'm thinking particularly of Anne of a Thousand Days and the Other Boleyn Girl. Costumes from the latter film are on display here. Penshurst was given to Anne of Cleves as part of the divorce settlement and was hers until she died in 1557 where it reverted back to the young king Edward who gave it to Robert Sidney and in whose family it still remains to this day. Outside the gate is a church where a few of the Sidney family are buried but alonside them is a little marker to Thomas Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's brother. Anne's father was the superintendent here whilst the place was owned by Henry VIII and the boy died in infancy.

Penshurst today was just lovely with the sunshine and to wander in the gardens and soak up the peace and quiet after London was a real treat.

On to Hever Castle the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and which was also given to Anne of Cleves as part of the divorce settlement. The Castle itself is very much smaller than you think it is or should be and was largely rescued from deriliction by JJ Astor in the early 1900's.He laid out some incredible Italian gardens with an ornamental lake. Here we paused momentarily as one of our adult party went onto the childrens water maze and which was down for essential maintenance before being opened on Sunday and managed to set part of it off.

There is a notice in the parish churchyard just outside the gates of the castle estate, which reads "Thomas Boleyn K.G. Grandfather to Queen Elizabeth I lies here in this church"

Hever has jousting on some weekends in the summer and other events throughout the year, but today , bathed in sunshine with few tourist it was a delight to go to.

Kings College Cambridge, and London

2011-04-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Kings College Cambridge. Building was started well before Henry VIII but he certainly finished it.

It has many unique features and I could spend pages and pages describing the building,it is my favourite fo all Henry's buildings. It has the largest Fan vaulted roof anywhere in the world, Majestic stained glass windows that have a guidebook all to themselves. It has evidence of two wives here, Catherine Howard is here seen high up on two of the windows. She is seen in suplication to Henry who appears as the biblical David and her initials appear on the east window above the red dragon of Wales there is H and K.

Curiously Anne Boleyn's initials are to be found above the provost stall, now what are they still doing there? One other unique feature is on the west facade, there is a Tudor Rose with a carved figure on it, the only one I know of in all the buildings I have visited. The figure is of Elizabeth of York, Henry's mother, why is that?. Now to me the whole building is Henry VIII at his most majestic and magnificence and he shouts down the centuries " I am Henry Octavus rex Lord of this land and I will be remembered...and I love my mum!"

Today it was Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. It was raining and cold so just wandering was not really pleasant at all. Westminster Abbey is the site of many Royal weddings and we'll be seeing another one in just a couple of weeks. It also holds the tombs some of our Sovereigns including Henry V. Elizabeth and Mary, also Mary Queen of Scots. Tourists and visitors leave tokens on these Tombs, Mary had a penny and Mary Queen of Scots had a piece of Tartan left on their majestic tombs. Anne of Cleves is here, just a few words in gold leaf in the wall of the chancel marks her final resting place, but some kind person has remembered her and left little flower.

The Tower of London is of course a world heritage site and steeped in the nation's history for nearly a 1000 years. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were executed here and are buried beneath the alter of the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincular. This is where we have failed in our quest to see all the wives final resting places. The Chapel was closed for urgent works on the lighting. I desperately pleaded with the yeoman warder to be able to view the Chapel " there is an alternative sir" he said " are you looking to pray?" thinking this was a leading question and offering a glimmer of hope I replied "yes" " Then you could go up to the chapel of St John in the White Tower sir " blast! got me!

In the White Tower there is a fabulous new exhibition on the top floor. Its a huge dragon made up of helmets, armour, weapons, pistols, cannons, chainmail and lots of other things too. The artist who constructed this sculpture is a genius, it is truly superb. I went back to see it again a second time.

Catherine of Aragon day

2011-04-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was given over completely to Catherine of Aragon. We went to three places all very important in the last two years of her life.

Kimbolton Castle, was first up geographically. It's where she died and is said to haunt. The place is now a school with about 650 students and not generally open to the public, only special tours allowed. The place is very diferent from when Catherine knew it, it had a huge amount of works done in the 1700's but the chapel she was laid in and the rooms she lived and died in are there still. Our tour guide read out Catherine's last letter in the room it was written, that gave you a funny feeling to say the least.

The second place was Buckden Towers, a Bishops Palace and where Catherine was held for a time before being moved to Kimbolton and where the Duke of Suffolk tried with a few armed men to take her away but the local men stood in his way and would not let her be taken. This stand off lasted for 5 days before the Duke went off to get some more men. Our special guide was so enthusiastic about the place from the gardens to the tower that it was hard to tear ourselves away and on to the next place.

Lastly was Peterborough Cathedral where she is buried. A simple black marble slab markes the grave paid for in the 1800's when all women called Catherine was asked to make a small donation. The people of England loved her when she was alive and they love her still, rarely a day goes by without fresh flowers on her grave. As it was Mothering Sunday we stayed for evensong and the power of the sound when the organ was playing was incredible, The type of power that you get when you turn up the volume on the stereo up to 11 on the dial, I was away and soaring. We had a bit more time after with our special guide to see some of the secrets of this magnificent Cathedral. We timed our exit from the Cathedral just has the heavens opened nad rained heavily for the first time this week.

Along the way we also saw a pair of red kites, a very rare bird in England only 600pairs in the whole country

Six Wives of One King- Sudeley and Kenilworth

2011-04-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

A little bit of a transport problem this morning, it failed to turn up for an hour to take us to Sudeley, sometimes things got little wrong. On the plus side, it was supposed to be raining yet we had sun and a bit more sun and dry all day, which meant we could enjoy the outdoor part of the day.

Sudeley is such a peaceful place, set in islation near the village of Winchcombe deep in the Cotswolds. It is mostly a ruin blown apart by Cromwell's forces during the civil war, but it was partially restored in 1837 and it's still the family home of the person who restored it.

It is where Catherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth wife, lived after she married Thomas Seymour after Henry died. It's where she died shortly after childbirth two years later. She now lies peacefully in the chapel within the grounds of the castle in a suitable tomb on the left hand side of the chancel. The grounds are not yet in full bloom so not as colourful as they might be. But inside they still have the exhibition of costumes from David Starkey's series of the six wives of Henry VIII.

On to Kenilworth, where not exactly within the Six Wives story, never-the-less has a very important place in the Tudor century. It is where Elizabeth I came on her grand progress in 1575 and Robert Dudley spent two weeks and a vast amount of money to get Elizabeth to marry him, all to no avail. It ruined him financialy, English Heritage spent £3million two years ago just to re-create the Privy garden. What with all the pageants and displays, games and hunting Dudley must have spent a small fortune.

Lets hope the weather is as dry and sunny tomorrow.

Six wives of One King-Windsor and Oxford

2011-04-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Today it was Windsor Castle and Oxford,it is now officially the summer season so the changing of the guard took place in the quadrangle at Windsor rather than the guardroom area.

Being the first through the doors does have a great advantage in that there are very few other tourists there to push and shove and get in the way when you are trying to read the information notes by the paintings. and there are some great paintings of the Tudors to look at, HenryVIII, Elizabeth as a teenager and Mary all in the same room.

Outside in the street we saw the guards march past the Henry VIII gate. Opposit us on the other side of the road were a group of 6 year old school kids in red uniforms all lined up waiting and when they heard the band about 100 yards away many of them started marching on the spot. It really isn't fair on the guardsman to have teenagers making fun of them because they can't respond but the one today had his own back on a group of very giddy girls and a few boys. He suddenly stood to attention with the loudest stamp like a pistol shot and marched off, he scared the girls to death and they ran away, good on him.

On to Oxford by train and a walk around this ancient University city. We took in Magdalen College, where Cardinal Wolsey was a student. ChristChurch College that he also original endowed. Passing through St Mary's church where Amy Robsart is buried ( Did she fall or was she pushed down those stairs?) and pausing momentarily at the memorial to Hugh Latimer, Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Ridley, martyrs burned at the stake by Queen Mary, we went to the Ashmoleon Museum to see the few Tudor Artifacts on disply.

The Oxford Colleges really haven't got it right at all. Magdalen has a tapestry that commemorates the event of the Bethrothal of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon. St Johns College has a rare original painting of Anne of Cleves. Both are not in the general public view. I wrote, I phoned, and tried to get to see these rare historical treasures with all the reasons and offering to pay extra all to no avail. Why keep these treasures if no one is allowed to see them only in books. I'll keep trying and get to see them eventually and make a report.

Six Wives of One King- Hampton Court Palace

2011-03-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today on a breezy but dry and a little sunny day we visited Hampton Court Palace, the legendary Palace that is the only one left standing from the 60 palaces and castles and built or in this case confiscated from Cardinal Wolsey by Henry VIII.
We had no traffic problems getting there and were for the very first time in my life the first one through the doors at 9.45. It's great getting there so early that there were largely no other toursts about for the first hour.

To our surprise the base court and clock court had been completely transformed into a medieval market scene featuring stalls with hides, animals(stuffed)of all types and poultry. The reason for this transformation was the filming of a new Disney Film "Jack the Giant Killer" starring Ewan McGreggor, we didn't see any filming going on but we did see some interpretive drama playlets around the Palace.

The players put on a great drama with gossip about who the king will marry next after Catherine Howard, Sssshhh don't mention her name. We were in the Great Hall trying to listen to Mistress Penn with about 100 or so 9 year olds on school trips sitting and working at the tables when the King walked in and within 15 seconds the place was absolutely silent you could hear a pin drop. All the kids looked agog and even their teachers were amazed.

The kitchens had one of the log fires blazing, you could smell the woodsmoke from the Carpenters court. It gave you a great feeling of what is was like to work in the Kitchens. Unfortunately the Real Tennis court wasn't open, but the gardens were still very colourful with all the spring flowers. All in all a great visit.

After Hampton Court we travelled to Windsor ready to visit the castle. The driver was kind enough to divert a little to pass the Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede along side the Thames. We got here early enough to attend Evensong. We were really lucky to have the boys choir singing, it was so beautiful that one woman sitting on the opposit side was in tears.

A very good day with the tour progressing well. Tomrrow it's the Castle and Oxford.

Six Wives of One King- Syon House

2011-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

On a rainy afternoon we visited Syon House on the Thames 10 miles from the centre of London.
One of the benefits of rain is that it keeps the tourists away, so consequently we had the House almods to ourselves. The room stewards or Dosens as the American call them were only too delighted to talk to you and point out things that you would just walk on by.

We were especially pleased to be allowed over the rope on a couple of occasions to view portraits and they showed us a family portrait painted by Gilbert Stuart a very important US artist. Of course with the room stewards, they are very knowlegeable and to ask them about a portrait you can't quite see on a quiet day makes their day.

The House is built on a medieval monastary started by Henry V in 1415 as a Brigetine Order and features prominantly in the Tudor Century. It was where Catherine Howard was incarcerated after her arrest and before she was taken to the Tower of London. Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen in the Long Gallery here. Catherine of Aragon, pious lady that she was, came here often to make her devotions. Anne Boleyn, fired into the Nuns for their wanton incontinence ( wicked behaviour ) and the place suffered the dissolution.

There are also some medieval out buildings used now as offices and shops and there is a Victorian great Conservatory that was used as the model for the Crystal Palace exhibition. A good day and a gentle start to the Six wives tour.

Coins and costumes

2011-02-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

A new £2 coin featuring the Mary Rose will go into limited circulation this year. 2011 is the 500th anniversary of the launching of the Mary Rose in 1511 Henry VIII most famous battleship.

A special gold version of the coin can be obtained from the Royal Mint www.royalmint.com

Also some of the costumes from the 4th Series of the Tudors staring Jonathan Rhys Myers go on display at the Mary Rose Museum including Henry VIII’s orange and bronze war costume from the final series.

Other costumes on show will be those that were worn by Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII, Joss Stone as Anne of Cleves, Joely Richardson as Catherine Parr, Maria Doyle Kennedy as Catherine of Aragon, Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn, Annabelle Wallis as Jane Seymour and Tamzin Merchant as Catherine Howard.

I can't wait to get down to Portsmouth and have a look.

Tower of London

2011-01-22T05:20:00.001-08:00

The Tower of London this year will be holding a special exhibition showing the history of the place as a zoo.

Many exotic animals were on display for centuries that the place was a zoo, it only closed in the 1800s' and the animals transfered to Regents Park zoo. The exibition won't have real animals of course, I think the lions would upset the ravens. No these will be replicas of the original animals and should prove to be a lively addition to the many exhibitions on at the Tower.

The place is still undergoing some repairs and renovations ready for the Queen's 60th Jubilee next year so any photos you take might still have some scaffolding in the background, but still a great place to visit.

Westminster Abbey

2011-01-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

2011 will see the eyes of the world on Westminster Abbey on April 29th when Prince William marries Catherine Middleton.

The Abbey will be putting on it's finest face to the world as for the last two years parts of it have been undergoing restoration. Including the fabulous Cosmati pavement, one of the finest medieval pavements in the world and until recently been covered by carpet. Even when the present Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953 the pavement was covered. In what promises to be a global television event Prince William's marriage will be celebrated right on the pavement at the centre of the Abbey.

Many fine portraits, rarely seen by the public have also been restored and will be on show for this year. Not forgetting the 400th year anniversary of the King James Bible printed in 1611 that will also be coming up in May.

Finally the coronation Throne will be put back on display after it's renovation
We look forward to 2011 being a momentous year at the Abbey

Ightham Mote in Kent

2010-07-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Ightham Mote ( pronounced Item) the most complete moated manor house in the country was first established in 1360 long before the Tudor period.
Sir Richard Clement (1521 - 1538),one of Henry VIII ministers, embellished the House with Tudor symbols, (Oriel window barge boards, Great Hall stained glass and in particular, the unique Chapel ceiling, wood panelling painted with symbols from Henry VIII.
The ceiling is painted with Tudor Roses but some are conjoined with pomegranates, the badge of Catherine of Aragon. That fits into the period that Catherine was Queen of England, up until 1533 anyway.

The house has another rather unusual claim, in that it has the only grade 1 listed dog kennel in the country. This dog kennel is the inspiration behind J.M Barrie's Peter Pan and the character of Nana, the Darling childrens large pet dog. Now you just have to take a photo of that.

www,tudorhistorytours.com

Sir Thomas More

2010-07-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today is the feast day of Sir Thomas More who was executed on the orders of Henry VIII because he would not take the Oath of Loyalty to Henry and the new Queen Anne.
Sir Thomas holds the distinction of being both a lawyer and a saint.

He was the Lord Chancellor of England and was also a friend of Henry, but Thomas was a pious man and was devoted to Queen Catherine, along with Bishop Fisher who was also executed a couple of days before Sir Thomas and for the same reason.

What strength of resolve and character drove a man, who lived in exalted circles of court, to deny the King what he wanted. Sir Thomas clung to his catholic faith and refused to sign the Oath in the certain knowlege that he would meet his maker sooner rather than later as a result.

As for Henry, he had his friend executed to encourage all the rest to sign up to the new order, The new church in England of which he was now head.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

State Lottery 1566

2010-06-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

The glory and magnificence of the Tudors still has power to amaze today. A letter from Elizabeth I to Sir John Spencer on 31 August 1566 giving him instructions to organise England's first State Lottery went up for sale by auction last Sunday.

The letter contains the details of how much tickets were to cost(10 shillings) and the top prize of £5,000 (about £850,000 in todays money). The draw was not actually held until 1569 because of the problems selling tickets across thye country.

The spelling is of course not what we are used to today and is also a flowery language, below is a short extract

'Where we have com[m]anded a ceratine carte of a Lotterie to be published by our Shirif of Countie in the principall townes of the same, of which we send you certen copies for the further execution thereof it is expedient to have somme persons appointed of good trust to receave such particular sommes as our subjects shall of their owne free disposition be ready to deliver upon the said lotterie who also shall w[it]hout faile be dewly authorised and their adventures shall happen w[it]hout either deceypt or delaye.'

The proceeds of the lottery were to go good causes
'Anything advantagious is ordered to be employed to good and publique acts and beneficially for o[u]r Realme and o[u]r Subjects') and nthe prizes werre to be money gold or other fine material and tapestries.

The letter? well it was sold for £24,000!! at that price I'll have to put in a bit of overtime I think.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

The Field of the Cloth of Gold

2010-06-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

June 7th 1520 King Henry VIII met Francis I the King of France at the Field of the Cloth of Gold near Calais.
It was a sumptuous affair lasting two weeks and each king tried to outdo each other with lavish entertainment with all their courtiers in attendance. There was so much gold cloth in the costumes and in the tents that the event the was so named. The event is depicted in the most famous painting, with the Henry arriving on a horse in grand procession. The wine fountain flows freely and there are a few people who have had a tad too much to drink I think. The wine fountain has been re-created at Hampton Court palace recently, and for a small fee, you can have some wine.

Way up in the background in the painting there are two figures in a tent, either embracing or wrestling with each other, was this the time Francis won the wrestling duel and threw our Henry?

Henry was just 28 years old at the time and a very impressive male figure, 6 foot 2 inches tall and it must have really hurt his pride to be thrown.

The whole affair was supposed to establish closer relations and friendships between the two countries, it succeeded, but only for a short while.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Kings College Chapel Cambridge

2010-06-05T02:02:00.000-07:00

What a magnificent place this is. On a glorious sunny day the superlatives rapidly dry up to describe the assault on your senses.

Set right in the middle of the University city of Cambridge, the Chapel is larger than some Cathedrals I've been in. You walk in through the north door under the wrought iron gate with the Crown set in a thorn bush. This is to remind us that Henry VII found the Crown in a thorn bush at the battle of Bosworth, well, Shakespeare tells us so anyway.

As you step into the chapel itself it just takes your breath away. It is a statement from Henry VIII, you can hear him shouting down the centuries to us,"I am Henry Octavus, Lord of this land, This is me and I WILL be remembered" There are his coat of arms everywhere, dragons & greyhounds, Tudor roses, Portcullises and sheilds, the most magnificent fan vaulted roof, the largest anywhere in the world.

There is more than one unique feature in this buidling. One of the Tudor Roses in the north west corner has a female figure in the centre, the only one I have seen anywhere. It is of Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII's mother, now why is that?

There are two of his wives here, Anne Boleyn's initials are carved in the oak Rood Screen in the middle of the Chapel. The carver must have forgot to remove them after she unfortunately mislaid her head, or was it on Henry's orders? Katherine Howard is seen in one of the windows high up and adoring Henry, who is actually Solomon but with fiery red hair. It is the only authenticated image of Katherine Howard known anywhere. High up on the East Window, so high up that you either rick your neck or have to stand back a very long way, above the Red dragon of Wales are the letters, H & K, the initials of Katherine Howard.

The organist was practising all the time I was there and as I stepped out of one of the side chapels a full blast of music was timed to perfection to hit me as I stepped through the door, made me jump back. I stayed for ages just listenng to the music and didn't really want to leave.

A truly remarkable place to visit.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Fit for a King

2010-05-27T01:45:00.001-07:00

The new exhibition at the Tower of London called Fit for a King is a real innovation in it's presentation. There are suits of Henry VIII's armour in all their magnificence on display as well as other outfits and uniforms of other Kings of England. The Armours were made for Henry to show off and to dazzle the people of course and you can see how later in life was a very portly gentleman to say it kindly, and complete with the Cod piece too.

Now the real innovation is the presentation of the the component parts of the suits of armour alongside in a frame like they were pieces of a giant plastic model. Those of you who may remember as a 10 year old trying to glue together a plastic model boat or airplane will know what it will look like. Then in between the giant model and the real suit of armour is a TV screen that shows the pieces of the model actually being taken from the frame and put together to form the whole. It is a great trick and shows how the armour fits together bit by bit.

A real joy to watch and only takes a couple of minutes to go through the loop, of course the real suit would have taken many people to assist and much longer to fit on the King.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Wine flows at the Palace

2010-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

Wine flows in the courtyard at Hampton Court Palace now. Historic Royal Palaces have recreated the wine fountain seen on the famous painting of the Field of Cloth of Gold where Henry VIII meets with the King of France.

The edifice is huge and is complete with some figures that are drunk as shown in the painting too, and lots of tourist get to have their photo in the same position. For a small fee (over 18's only) you can have a cup of wine from the fountain, we didn't get to try it as it wasn't open till after we left, but next time we'll stay longer and sample the wine.

Hampton Court Palace has much to recommend to the visitor, there are daily plays around the place which are themed but each one different. On the day we were there Henry was getting married to Catherine Parr, you could watch Catherine chose her wedding dress or Henry having his last batchelor drink with some of his mates, and you had the chance to dress in either red or green robes to walk about the place.

The Costumes worn by the participants were magnificent and gave plenty of time to take photos.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Spring at last

2010-04-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

Whilst walking on the nature trail at Herstmonceux castle we came across our first bluebells of the season nestling in a really sunny sheltered spot near the folly by the lake. So spring is here at last, traditionally the first cuckoo is heard on the 10th of April but we didn't hear it. 90% of the worlds common bluebells are found only in britain and most of those in the South East. It's always a pleasure to get out walking in the spring.

Herstmonceux castle ( herst-mon-zoo) holds a special place, it's the first brick built castle in the country 1441, not a castle really but a crennelated manor house that is defensible with a moat. It is still one of the most significant brick built buildings in the country.

The Royal Greenwich Observatory took over the place in 1957 and built a number of telescopes, some of which are still used by the local astronomical society to have a look at a celestial event. The RGO moved out in the late 80's as most of the real observing is done in the Canary Islands now, since then the place has been owned by Queens University of Onatario, as the International Science and Study Centre, what a great place to come and study!

I used to work there when it was the RGO over 20 years ago and there was some fantastic childrens Christmas parties with loads of kids running about the place trying to find the treasure and rescue the princess from the tower. The place is also a wedding venue and the bridal suite is in one of the turrets, how cool is that?

The castle holds and annual medieval festival in August and its now the largest of it's type and lasts three days. It's now in it's 18th year and Tudor history tours will attend the festival on the August tour.

http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/

Smallhythe Place

2010-04-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

Smallhythe is just a simple gem of a place that you stumble across almost by accident. A village set in the heart of the Kent countryside that was in Tudor times a hive of shipbuilding activity. The Great Harry, Henry VIII's warship was built here and Smallhythe Place was the Harbourmasters house and office built in 1514.

The house was purchased in 1899 by the actress Ellen Terry and the house is a shrine to her with costumes diplays and lots of theatre artifacts. Ellen Terry was hugely famous in her day and she died in 1928. After her death, her daughter set about turning the old barn, built in 1560, out the back garden into a theatre. And how she has succeeded. It's so small only 77 seats and they have performances in the summer. The seats were bought by the great and good of the British theatre and music, Paul McCartney has his name one one ( he only lives about 4 miles away). A very beautiful and peaceful place to go to nestling on a slight rise above the silted up river plain.

Only 50 yards away is the Parish church built in 1516-17 during the reign of Henry VIII. It is unusual, built of red brick brought over from flanders and the stepped gable ends are sure sign of Dutch influence. In 1509 an order was issued by Archbishop Warham that the parishoners were allowed to elect their own priest. This privelege was unique in the whole Kingdom and was to last for more that 400 years. Sadly the stained glass windows are relatively modern replaced in 1952 after the original was destroyed by a V1 rocket in 1944.

Just to finish the day off nearby is Chapel Down vinyard that sells very good English wines. All in all a beautiful place to visit.

http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/

Walmer and Deal castles

2010-04-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful dry and sunny day we visited first Walmer and then just a mile away Deal castles. These are two thirds of the castles in the Downs, the third, Sandown was was largely demolished in the 19th Century.

These castles were built by Henry VIII in 1539 as part of the coastal defences to prevent beach landings. Deal is the largest, strong and sturdy, and right on the beach. It has largely been left as it was in Tudor times save for an update in the 1700's. You can wander around the clover leaf construction and go deep into the powder store below the keep.

Anne of Cleves landed here and stayed briefly at the castle on her way to marry Henry in December 1539 and the place still has that Tudor atmosphere. It's not too much stretch of the imagination to see her walking around the corner. It is said that you could see the glow from the Fire ships that scattered the Spanish Armada from this castle.

Walmer castle on the other hand is very much a lived in castle, as it has been the official home of the Lord Warden of the Cinque ports since 1708, and still occupied as such.

Walmer is also a clover leaf design and construction, but the place is very much alive with the famous men and women who have inhabited the official quaters.

People like the Duke of Wellington, William Pitt the Younger, WH Smith (yes the newsagent). Sir Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

All of them have left a mark on the castle in some way or other and there are many exhibitions to see inside. Outside the Queen Mother has left a beautiful walled garden but because we have had such a cold winter the plants are not yet in bloom. There were activities going on in the extensive and well tended gardens, story telling and music by a travelling troup and much face painting for the kids.

The castle looks and feels much different to Deal and it's Tudor heart is hard to find, but deep in the powder store under the keep you can hear it beating.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Southsea Castle

2010-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Over a busy Easter weekend we went to a few places, Southsea Castle being the first on Good Friday.

Southsea Castle was built by Henry VIII during the frenetic buillding period of 1544. It's a star shape with pointed bastions, built right on the point of land by what is now Southsea common and dominates the approach to Portsmouth harbour. The walls are very thick, over two metres and was used by the military right up to the second world war. Indeed the army insisted on still being able to fly the flag over the castle when it was handed over to civilian powers in 1960. It has been extended over the centuries but the Tudor Heart beats fiercely and the exhibition in the Keep is mainly of it's construction and garrision during the Tudor period. Some of the

Climbing up a narrow stone stairway to the bastions, I was greeted by the sight of a huge cross channel ferry going to France passing so close by that I could have reached out and touched it. In fact the main shipping channel is only 200 yards off shore but the perspective is very deceiving.

It was here that Henry was standing during the naval battle with the French off Spithead in 1545 when he saw the Mary Rose sink. This scene is depicted in full on the Cowdray engraving, it shows Henry onshore and just the mast tops of the Mary Rose above the water with a few of the crew trying to swim for their lives. You can easily see the wreck bouy from the bastions about 400 yards offshore. The Mary Rose sank because she was turning about and her lower gunports were open, a sudden gust of wind keeled her over a bit more and water poured into the open gunports.

Last Friday the tide in the Solent was as high as I've ever seen it and the wind was driving the seas onshore. The waves were crashing over the prominade making walkers dash for safety. If the wind that day the ship sank was as anything like last week it's not too surprising that she keeled over.

More about our Easter weekend to follow.

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Fit for a King

2010-04-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

The new exhibition called Fit for as King opened today in the White Tower at the Tower of London. No it's not an April fools joke it's real.

I was there a few weeks ago on a research visit and amidst all the carpenters, curators, armourers and technicians the exhibition was taking shape. A lot of the gallery was cordoned off to keep the public back behind the rope line, but it was taking shape. It will be stunning, I can't wait to see it finished myself. It shows 500 years of armour and arms Fit for a King, suits of Armour made for the likes of Henry VIII are on display, some rarely seen by the public.

I will report on the full exhibition in due course when we next visit.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Katherine or Catherine

2010-03-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

Today being Lady day, I thought it would be appropriate to have a word about some of the six wives of Henry VIII and especially Mrs Parr.

There has been two new books published very recently in 2010, one by Linda Porter titled Katherine the Queen-the remakable life of Katherine Parr and another by Elizabeth Norton titled Catherine Parr- wife, widow, mother, survivor and the last Queen of Henry VIII. (a bit of a long subtitle really.) There is also a book written last year titled Catherine Parr Henry -VIII's last love by Lucey Baldwin Smith

Now the first thing to notice of course that her name has been spelt with a different letter. Spelling in Tudor times was a bit random even the word queen was spelt quene. It wasn't until Dr Johnson published his dictionary that spelling as we know it was made common. I'll leave it to you to read the books and decide which spelling you prefer but I'll keep with Catherine.

She was a remarkable woman and also very wealthy having been married twice before, she married again after Henry to Thomas Seymour. She out lived Henry but died shortly after childbirth of her child with Seymour. What is with Henry and three wives called Catherine? It must have made the scribes life a little easier at least. The title of survivor should really go to Anne or Anna of Cleves, she outlived all of them, she also perhaps should have the title of virgin Queen.

Elizabeth Norton has also written a book on Anne of Cleeves last year and Jane Seymour too.

All the six wives have different reasons for marrying the King and came from different backgrounds and even different countries. He married four times out of love, once out of affection and only once for Duty. Tudor History Tours have two themed tours this year looking for the Six Wives of One King and we have received a goodly number of enquiries.

http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/

The changing faces of Elizabeth I

2010-03-18T02:42:00.001-07:00

I went to see a new exhibition yesterday that has opened this week in the Tudor room of the National Portrait Gallery called Concealed and revealed-the Changing faces of Elizabeth I.

A series of four paintings of Elizabeth that have been altered in some way from their original creation are on display and are painted at various times in her life from 1560's until her death in 1603.

An X-ray of one painting shows that Elizabeth was not the original sitter, a clear image of another face, behind and slightly higher can be seen. One painting was retouched in the 18th Century, it shows a very beautiful Elizabeth, younger too.

The highlight is the painting by an unknown artist that has not been seen by the public since 1921. It shows Elizabeth holding a serpent coiled around her right hand. It's a ghostly image as the painting has deteriorated which it was why it was removed from public display. The over painting shows Elizabeth holding a posy of Tudor roses but hidden underneath and before the varnish was applied is the serpent. A reconstruction of the serpent is placed alongside the painting to show what the original would have looked like.

Serpents held many meanings and symbolism in Tudor times. The image of Elizabeth was tightly controlled and the artist was probaly told by the controllers that it was too ambiguous for the population at the time so it was painted over. A case of Tudor spin doctors having their say.

The exhibition will run until September 26, is well worth a visit and admission is free.

http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/

Cannons in the Weald

2010-03-09T03:20:00.000-08:00

On a clear, crisp and very cold last Sunday morning where the temperature didn't get above 3C/38f, we set off with hats and gloves to find the iron making foundries in the High Weald of East Sussex. The ground was still a little icy in places under the trees and not too muddy in others, the footpaths were clearly marked and only once missed a marker and had to retrace our steps.

It is difficult to believe today that this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was the industrial heartland of England with many Iron making foundries 500 years ago in the Tudor age. The evidence is there to be discovered with place names like Huggets Furnace farm and Little Forge. The latter operated for over a hundred years from 1560 to 1667.

Making iron in the High Weald was very efficient because all the elements to make iron were there and still are. Walking through the hilly countryside, pausing for a moment when we came across a herd of deer and later on a couple of wild boars in the woods, we found a large number of Hammer ponds flowing into Ghylls. A Ghyll is a steep sided fast flowing stream with exposed sandstone. The sandstone contains the iron ore, we know this because the surface of the stone is rusty. The stone was quarried and only had to be transported a short distance to the foundry.

The Ghyll provided the motive power for the mill wheels that in turn operated the bellows and the hammers in the furnaces. The charcoal to fuel the furnaces was provided by the Chestnut coppices that are on a 7 year harvest cycle and still are. We came across a chap preparing a charcoal burning fire alongside a hammer pond, a skill practiced since Roman times in this area.

The first blast furnace was used in England at Ashdown forest in 1496 and in 1543 the first iron cannon was successfully cast from a clay mould in one piece at Buxted by father and son Ralph and John Hogge. These cannons were much stronger and safer than the previous guns made in sections and held together by bands and therefore Sussex cannons were able to corner the market. There is a small 16th century cannon in Mayfield village High Street that was recovered from the remains of the Mayfield furnace in 1864.

It can be said that all the cannons for Henry VIII's navy were cast in the High Weald and the guns that defeated the Spanish Armada were forged in the heart of Sussex.

Our walk also passed by a number of WWII pill boxes, small squat concrete and brick buildings sited in the woods and fields along the way, these were built to fight any German invasion of Britain in 1940.

After 3 and half hours we got back to the car a little tired and rosy cheeked from the cold but very satisfied to have found so much local history.

http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/

Syon House

2010-03-04T07:12:00.000-08:00

March 3rd 1415 Syon House was founded by Henry V, that glorious year in which he fought and won the battle of Agincourt. Originally an Abbey and the only Brigettine House in the country in th 15th Century. Syon has remained in the Percy family since 1584 and is situated within a beautiful park on the river Thames not 10 miles from the centre of London.

Syon House plays a large part in the Tudor century. It became Crown Property in 1539 after the suppression of the Abbey. Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's 5th wife was incarcerated there on her way to prison and execution at the Tower of London in 1542.

In 1547 the body of King Henry VIII lay for a night in the abbey church on it's way to Windsor for burial and fulfilled a gruesome prophecy from a Franciscan Friar William Peto in 1535. A dog was found licking up certain remains that had leaked from the coffin, yeuk!

The Duke of Northumberland proclaimed Lady Jane Grey as the true monarch at Syon following Henry's death. Nine days later Mary had the throne and Lady Jane Grey was executed at the Tower the following year.

Tudor History Tours visits Syon at the start of the Six wives of One king tour in May and September.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Inside the Body of Henry VIII

2010-02-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

There was an excellent program on the History Channel this week called Inside the Body of Henry VIII.
It was made last year and presented by historian Robert Hutchinson, medical historian Steve Bacon(see our blog on the Parham House study day23 September 2009)with Dr Lucy Worsley and Dr Catherine Hood.

The program looked at the health of Henry from his childhood up to his death and Henry was a tough character indeed. He was exposed to tuberculosis when young, he contracted smallpox and malaria during his lfe, and had a head injury whilst jousting when younger.
What finally made him give up jousting was the accident that knocked him unconcious for two hours in January 1536, he was 45 years old at the time, what was he doing on a horse in armour at that age? It was from this second head injury that his moods began to change and he became the tyrant and despot that history remembers him by.

The accident was gruesomely recreated by dropping at 1500lb weight from 14 feet in the air onto the carcass of a pig, yuk!
From this accident, the King did not take any more exercise but cointinued to eat as much as 5,000 calories a day and was 28(178Kilos) stone when he died, he also showed all the symptons of late onset type 2 diabetes. Lucy went round a supermarket and gathered up a typical week's food for the king, there was lots of it and plenty of alchohol too.

Robert and Steve dismissed the notion that Henry had Syphilis, there is simply no evidence in the household accounts for the purchase of any mercury which was the only recognised cure for the disease at the time and there were also no medical notes in the physicians reports either of treatment for external sores that characterises the disease.

The CGI graphics of the autopsy on the body were excellent and revealing, all in all a very well researched and presented program and well worth watching.

There was no mention of the Cushings syndrome theory(see our blog again) I must ask Robert about that the next time I see him.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Mary Queen of Scots

2010-02-18T07:57:00.001-08:00

18 Febraury 1587 on this day, Mary Queen of Scots was executed at Fotheringay castle and was buried at Peterborough Cathedral. The same grave digger performed the duty 50 years after he interred Catherine of Aragon. It was a grand death as Mary was dressed in a vivid crimson silk bodice and petticoat, the colour of martyrs. She gave a speech in defence of her catholic faith before putting her head on the block.

She had been a thorn in the side of her cousin Elizabeth for nearly 20 years constantly involved in plots to either get back her Scottish crown or usurp the throne of England. Elizabeth vacillated for so long before signing the death warrant and was said to be distraught when told that the deed was done.

Mary must be having the last laugh as when her son James I became King on the death of Elizabeth, he had her remains taken from Peterborough and placed in Westminster Abbey in a much grander tomb than Elizabeth's at the Abbey. It is also worth remembering that our present Soveriegn is decended from Mary as the Tudor dynasty ended with Elizabeth.

Peterborough Cathedral is on the tour itinerary of our Six Wives of one King tour.

http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/

Rochester Cathedral

2010-02-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

Rochester Cathedral is the second oldest in England after Canterbury, founded in 604 by Bishop Justus. Rochester lies on the direct route from London to Dover and overlooking the Cathedral is the mighty Norman keep of Rochester castle, besieged by King John in 1215. The present Knave dates from Norman times and is built of stone imported from Caen, the home of William the Conqueror in 1086.

Amung its many memorials is one to Charles Dickens who mentions the Cathedral in his writing, there is also Colonel John Chard VC Royal Engineers, hero of the battle of Rorkes drift in the Zulu wars.

The Cathedral plays a prominant role in the Tudor story, with not one but two of it's bishops becoming martyrs after being executed by the monarch. Bishop Fisher, stalwart defender of King Henry's first wife Catherine of Aragon, was beheaded 22 June 1535 on the orders of Henry VIII for refusing to acknowledge that the King was head of the Church in England. Bishop Fisher died as a catholic, curiously Bishop Ridley died as a Protestant, executed by Mary 20 years later 16 October 1555. Ridley was burnt at the stake during Bloody Mary's reign of terror against protestants and he had the double misfortune to have supported Lady Jane Grey during her 9 days as Queen.

Henry VIII first met Anne of Cleves here in the Bishops Palace within the precincts of the Cathedral, that meeting led to Henry saying "I like her not!" but was it him that said the she was the flanders mare? That line probably came much later on. (see our blog of 27 December). The Cathedral holds Tudor festivals with music and dancing from the period and of course Henry gets to meet with Anne again.

Tudor History Tours visits Rochester during the Elizabeth I tours on four occasions during this year. See our tour program on our website for further details.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Eltham Palace

2010-02-10T01:34:00.000-08:00

Eltham Palace, the boyhood home of Henry VIII and what a truly unique place it is. It's really two palaces in one seamlessly joined together, but you step from one world to another in the blink of an eye.
It is the first place ever that I have been instructed to put on blue plastic overshoes before entering to protect the floors. Recorded in the Domesday book of 1086 as being owned by Bishop Odo the half brother of William the Conqueror. The Palace has changed hands many times, it was owned by Edward II from 1305 and Charles I was the last king to visit here. After the Civil War the place began to decay and fell into a state if decline and disrepair.

The Palace was largely rebuilt in the 1930's by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld in a magnificent Art Deco style with some incredible marquetry inlaid panels and the master bedroom has hand painted relief wall paper that would make you feel like you were sleeping in Kew gardens.
Step through a doorway into the Great Hall and you are transported back over 500 years to when it was built in 1480. The Hammerbeam roof was the third largest built at the time after Westminster Hall and Hampton Court Palace. It was lucky to survive a direct hit from a German bomb in 1940, you can still see the scorch marks on the minstrel gallery floor.

Half a dozen gardeners were hard at work preparing the grounds for the spring, when the place will be a blaze of colour. Much of the Old Palace ruins can still be seen within the grounds especially along by the sunken rose garden. With the bridge crossing the moat you can easily imagine Henry VIII as a boy fishing for the huge carp that lazily swim there.

A really remarkable place and I look forward to the spring time when the weather is warmer and the gardens are in full bloom.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Don't lose your head

2010-02-01T04:25:00.000-08:00

On January 30th 1649 Charles I parted company with his head. The Tudor connection here is that he was born in 1599 when Elizabeth was still on the Throne of England and it was Charles's father James I that followed her onto the throne.
It's incredible to think that after Elizabeth reigned for 45 years, it took less than that time, less that two generations, for the country to tear itself to pieces in a civil war. Even more incredible is that the after being King for 24 years Charles should lose his head after losing the war.

Curiously, long before 1649 when the population was more religious and more superstitious, it was considered horrendous bad luck if Lady Day 25th March ( the annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear the Christ Child 9 months later) fell at Easter. The last time that happend was...1649. Check your diaries we're OK this year.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

The Staffordshire Hoard

2010-01-12T03:46:00.000-08:00

GOLD and lots of it!!
Went to the British Museum yesterday for some research, but got distracted by the Staffordshire Hoard. A truly amazing find of over 1500 pieces of gold and silver dating from 600-700 AD and found by a amateur metal detectorist in a field in the middle of England. Ok not Tudor but never-the-less worth mentioning. The pieces on display are simply incredible, the workmanship of the gold with garnets inlaid together with enamel designs. Getting up close and personal with such a find was a truly mouth open experience. The pieces still haven't been cleaned of dirt yet because there is so much of it and it will take at least a year to evaluate it all. In all the weight is more than eleven pounds of gold and three pounds of silver, all hidden in the ground probably,left there by somebody fleeing a battle 1300 years ago.

Worth a look if you are in London.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

St Peters Church Firle

2010-01-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

Nestling at the foot of Firle Beacon on the south downs lies St Peters Church in Firle village very close to Firle Place the ancestral home of the Gage family.
It's a flint built 13th Century Church but evidence suggest that the present site is much older, even before 1066.
There are 3 Alabaster tombs with effigies dating from 1595 in the Knave and contain, John Gage(1556) and his wife Phillipa, he was constable of the Tower of London and responsible for planning the execution of Catherine Howard.
His son Edward (d1569)and his wife Elizabeth, he was responsible for planning the burning at the stake the protestant martyrs in Lewes during the reign of Mary Tudor. Edward had two wives, 9 sons and 5 daughters, a very busy man!.
Lastly another John (1595) grandson of the first John, he had two wives too but not such gory credentials. Also buried in the family plot is Thomas Gage, he of the American war of Independence fame or infamy because he had a bit of a failure and was replaced. Firle is one of the places we visit on our tours.
The church has a list of the parish vicars dating from 1197. There is also a John Piper window installed in 1985 in homage to William Blake's Book of Job in memory of Henry 6th Viscount gage and depicts the tree of life in heavenly Jerusalem.

Today would have been Elvis Prestley's 75th Birthday if he was still alive. I mention this because there is a gargolye of Elvis at Canterbury Cathedral. Really there is, one of the stone masons a few years ago was an Elvis fan and chisseled the likeness on a replacement stone gargolye during renovations and it's still there high on the roof.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Tower of London

2010-01-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

The discovery Channel over the last weekend was turned over completely to the Tower of London. A series of hour long programs looking at the Tower, it's history and it's people.

It is the most visited historic site in the country and has something for everyone.
It was fascinating to learn that the Yeoman of the Guard have a intense training period before they can be let loose on the general public. The Red uniforms they wear as seen on the home page of our web site,date back to Henry VII and they cost over £7,000 each with all that gold braid.

The challenge to the Queens Keys is the longest running military ceremony in the world. At 10pm precisely every night the shout goes out from a young sentry " Halt- who comes there?" only once in the last few hundred years has it been delayed. During the WWII Blitz a bomb landed within the Tower and blew the escort and Yeoman off their feet. The governor to the Tower wrote an appolgy to the King who replied that under the circumstances the officer should not face any punishment.

The Tower holds many historic features including the Crown Jewels that were once stolen by a Colonel Blood in 1637, a very interesting plot because he was pardoned by King Charles II. Who would want to be the person that actually gets to cleam them?

The Tower was also a very famous prison holding many historic and imfamous people right up to after the second world war. It even held the Kray twins ( for readers not from the UK the Kray Twins were notorious gangsters from London in the 1950's and 60's).

Once a year at low tide people are allowed on the river foreshore to scavenge amung what was the Tower rubbish dump for centuries. The piles of rubbish reveals some surprising finds like a gilded spur or a medieval door lock or a tile or a piece of masonary centuries old.

Lets hope that the discovery channel reapaets the series soon.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Wesminster Abbey

2009-12-29T02:35:00.000-08:00

Westminster Abbey was first consecrated December 28 1065 about nine months before the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror was crowned here and it has used ever since for the coronation of the Sovereign.
It houses the last remains of 10 Royal Soveriegns, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots and Anne of Cleves to name but a few of the Britains most powerful and Pious.
It was stripped of its consecrated status by Henry VIII during the Dissolution but was converted by Elizabeth into a " Royal Peculiar" a church responsible to the Sovereign.
It is very much a modern church too, keeping up with the times. Above the main door there are statues of 20th Century martyrs that includes Martin Luther King jr.

To hear carols or evensong in the Abbey is a moving experience and to think that services have been held here for nearly a thousand years.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

I Like her Not !

2009-12-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

It was on this day in 1539 that Henry VIII first set eyes on Anne of Cleves. It was at the Bishops Palace in Rochester Kent and Henry was impatient to see his intended bride. He was in disguise which fooled no one but they all played the part anyway. He came away from the meeting crestfallen and said "I like Her not." He then met her formally on New years day but I think by that time the image had been created of her as the Flanders Mare.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and there is no accounting for taste. All sorts of cliches could be made but in the Henry VIII special exhibition still on at Windsor castle there are some water and pin colour sketches of his wives painted by Holbien on display. These are magnificent in detail and Anne of Cleves does not look unattractive at all in comparison to the others. This could be the brush deceiving the eye or she could have been exactly as portrayed either way Henry just did not fancy her but went through with the marraige for the good of the country.

Anne of Cleves out lived all the other wives but after Henry died she was treated very poorly by Parliament depiving her of the money that was rightfully hers by the divorce settlement. She is entombed in Westminster Abbey.

Wolf Hall

2009-12-15T04:14:00.000-08:00

Wolf Hall, not the new Booker Prize winning novel by Hillary Mantel about Thomas Cromwell. Wolf Hall in Wiltshire is the home of Jane Seymour third wife of Henry VIII and mother of Edward VI. Wolf Hall was recorded in the Domesday book of 1086 as Ulfela. Unfortunately there's not much left of the original building. The present building dates from the Victorian period. It's a large house set back from the narrow twisting road surrounded by large trees with a number of farm buildings all around.
The great barn that held the Wedding feast of Henry VIII and Jane survived until the 1920's and was destroyed by fire, there are photos of the Barn showing what it was like still available.
St Mary's church at Great Bedwyn a couple of miles away holds the tomb of Jane's father John. Above him is a stained glass window commemorating the wedding of Henry and Jane and dating from that time which came from the original house and was reset into the Church in 1901. John was also father to Thomas who married Catherine Parr after Henry died and was uncle and Protector of Edward VI.
Great Bedwyn is a Roman settlement but there is a chalk barrow indicating that the place has been inhabited for centuries before that. It was a city under the Saxons and appears in the Domesday book but was not assessed or tithed.

Jane was not high born but achieved the one thing that Henry wanted above all else, a son.

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The Great Storm

2009-11-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

This week on 24 November sees the anniversary of the official celebration of the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. That defeat, put down mostly to the superb seamanship and gunnery skills of the Navy but the great storm was the decisive factor, scattering the Spanish fleet and forcing it to get home around Scotland.

These last two weeks we have witnessed some dreadful storms and flooding in Britain, even the channel port of Dover was closed due to the heavy seas. If a modern ship with engines and stabilisers could not manage the rough channel what would it have been like in a Spanish Galleon relying on sails and oars for motive power?

The Armada was becalmed for a while off the Sussex coast near Fairlight, finally sailing away on the 27th July. People of a Puritan cast of mind in Sussex at this time were naming their children with rigorously uplifting names. On July 28th with the Armada sailing away William Durrant and his wife of Warlbleton took their son to church and christened him Bethankfull and four days later Thomas and Mary Holman christened their son Preserved.

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The Tower of London.

2009-11-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

Steeped in the nations history for a thousand years, the Tower of London is one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It can be very busy on some summer days but if you pick your day and time to go it can be a brilliant place to visit.

The Crown Jewels can be the most busy place with the queue snaking its way around the courtyard but don't be put off by that there are plenty of other places to go and you can come back to the Crown Jewels, once inside the chamber there are travellators (moving pavements)on each side of the glass cases so if you want to study these you have to go along a few times. There is a fixed platform at the back to stop and stare with some picture boards to know what you're looking at. There were two copy sets of the Jewels made during WWII just in case! and one copy was said to have been kept at Upnor castle in Kent and is one of the places we visit on our Elizabeth tour.

The centre piece of the White tower is the Henry VII exhibition and to see his armour astride a white charger is a jaw dropping moment when you walk into the room.

The scaffold site on tower green, the place where Anne Bolyen, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, Walter Raleigh and a few notable others were executed has an evocative scuplture and when you listen to the audio guide and hear actors speak the last words of the condemned it raises the hairs on the back of your neck.

The battlements walk is a must and it takes you through the medieval palace through the guard tower and places where other famous prisoners have been held and finally the old jewel tower.

There are many places to see and to wander round the inner walls of this famous place that will find something of interest for any body. They do say that the average British person vists the place three times in their lives, once as a child, once as a parent and once as a grandparent.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Henry VIII and the codpiece

2009-11-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

This being Friday 13th and the feast eve of St. Homobonus the patron saint of tailors it seems fitting that the codpiece should rate a mention. They were sported by European Aristocrats including Henry VIII from the 1540's to 1580's and a prominant symbol of fashion virility, men would have larger and more elaborate ones to outdo each other.(no change there then)
Henry VIII's armour on display at Windsor castle has one and the belief was that women wishing to conceive should touch it with a pin. Which should have pleased him. Though during his lifetime he might have been a little insecure, why else would he introduce a law that limited the size of a gentlemans codpiece to 10inches.( New worlds, Lost worlds the rule of the Tudors. by Susan Brigden).

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Lewes Bonfire night

2009-11-09T06:59:00.000-08:00

The County town of Lewes was crammed full of 50,000 revellers to celebrate the 5th November 2009. The streets were closed to traffic and for the first time Southern rail were not putting on extra trains to cope. The result was, cars were parked on the roads side of all roads leading to Lewes. (that was a clever strategy to try to keep people away). 16,000 people did come by rail as it happens.

Why Lewes? The origins go back to 1606 the year after the plot a bonfie was held on Cliffe hill not far from where the martyrs monument stands. Things got out of hand in the early 1800's and a special act of Parliament was made in 1847 that enabled special constables to be sworn in during periods of Public rejoicing, procession, illumination and thronging.

For the faint hearted, the streets of Lewes are thronged and when the processions pass by the marchers are apt to drop some very loud bangers,the heat from the flaming barrels being manually towed along is intense, so, not the place to be if you have a nervous disposition.

The processions are a wonder, marchers in costume carrying lighted torches and pulling tableau with the topical hate figure. If you look up School Hill from Cliffe it is like a river of fire coming to meet you. The costumes are fantastic ranging from Ancient Greeks, Mongols, Spanish, Mexican, Elizabethan, Native American Indians, and Zulus,
(what is it with the British and Zulus?).

The hate figures in tableau this year were fat cat bankers and a certain Politician who was ordered to pay back £16,000 in wrongly calimed expenses.

The most poignant part of the processions was the 17 burning crosses representing the 17 Protestant martyrs burned to death in Lewes during the Marian period. The Crosses are carried through the streets and can look very wierd for the casual visitor.

There is also a fiery phrase carried that says "Sussex wont be druv" which as far as can be translated is that people in Sussex can be led but not pushed.

Some folks as comes to Sussex,
They rackon as they knows
A darn sight better what to do
Then silly folks like me and you
could possibly suppose.
But them that comes to Sussex
They mustn't push and shove,
For Sussex will be Sussex,
and Sussex won't be druv.

(W.Victor Cook) the verse goes on but you get the idea.

There are 6 different Bonfires and firework displays and they are all magnificent if you pick the right spot in the town you can see at least three displays at roughly the same time.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Bloody Mary and the Protestant martyrs.

2009-11-02T02:02:00.000-08:00

"When William Mainarde, his maid and man,
Margery Mories, and her son,
Denis Burges, Stevens and Woodman,
Grove's wife, and Ashdon's to death were done,
When one fire at Lewes brought them death,
We wished for our Elizabeth."

June 22 1557 10 protestants were burned to death in one fire outside the town hall in the centre of Lewes during the Reign of Mary "Bloody Mary" Tudor. But the people of Lewes had to wait more than a year to get their wish. She died on 17th November 1558 and Elizabeth became Queen.
Mary was a Catholic just like her mother Catherine of Aragon and wanted to get the country back to the true faith and took extreme measures to get the country back to Papal supremacy. A great many protestants were executed in the most grisly manner during her reign.
There were a total of seventeen protestant martyrs burned in Lewes During Mary's reign and there are several memorials to them in and around the town. The remembrance of these martyrs is still made during the Bonfire night celebrations on the 5th November when the torchlit processions pause at the the town centre memorial. The whole celebrations give a peculiar anti-Papal feeling, especially when the Cardinal is booed through the streets.

Everyone likes a good firework display and there are 6 to chose from in Lewes on the night of the 5th, the town looks like a war zone!

www.tudorhistorytours.com

The Gunpowder plot 1605

2009-10-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Bonfire Chant.
Remember, remember the 5th of November, for Gunpowder Treason and Plot...
I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy, ‘twas his intent, to blow up the King and Parliament.
Three score barrels he laid below to prove old England’s overthrow.
By God’s mercy he was catched with a dark lantern and a lighted match.
Holla boys, holla boys, let the bells ring.
Holla boys, holla boys, God save the King.

The Gunpowder plot of 1605 was only two years after ELizabeth's death but the seeds were sown as far back as 1571. There were a total of ten plots from 1571 to 1603. Mary Queen of Scots was executed in 1587 and that led to the Spanish Armada. Religious ferment was never very far away with the catholics hoping for a return to the one true faith. The Gunpowder plot was intended to blow up the King and replace him with a catholic usurper.

Here in Sussex the 5th of November is celebrated in real style with the County town of Lewes closed for the day and 50,000 people crowd in to see 6 different torchlit processions, bonfires and firework displays. Bonfire societies from all over Sussex converge to parade in their costumes in the Grand Parade.

All in all a fantastic spectacle and one that puts the pollution monitors into overdrive for a few days.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Firle Place

2009-10-26T03:58:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of the Bonfire season in Sussex to celebrates the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and last weekend it was the turn of Firle village.
Firle Place is the ancestral home of the Gage family, was originally a Tudor mansion and is on our tour itenerary next year.
John Gage was the Constable of the Tower of London and was responsible to organise the execution of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's 5th wife. Major General Thomas Gage was the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces during the American war of Independence.

Sussex has a proud tradition of celebrating the Gunpowder plot, most towns and villages have a bonfire society that raises money throughout the year with profits being donated to charity, each society holds an alloted bonfire night and torchlit procession during the season. The season starts on the 6th September and the culmination of all of these is the county town of Lewes for a mamouth night of celebration where all the societies gather on the 5th November. Uniquely in Sussex Firle Bonfire and firework display was held in the private grounds of Firle place and it was a fantastic display set to music.

A few things to explain before looking at the web photos. The whole thing is of course historically anti-catholic and no Popery here, that accounts for the burning crosses. The two priests on the scaffold are there to harrangue the crowd before the fireworks are set off. Whilst they are doing this the locals are throwing fireworks at them (and scoring hits), it is considered to be a great honour to chosen as the priests.

Each society choses a costume theme for a couple of years and Firle have a Mexican theme. There are also the bonfire boys dressed as smugglers(hooped shirts) and each society has its own colours.
Every year a hate figure is chosen to be the tableau pulled through the streets. This year it was Peter Andre and his ex wife Jordan (aka Katie Price). A mediocre singer and ex glamour model with huge implants who met on a reality TV show. These tableau are full of explosives and fireworks which get set off seperately from the main display.

As for jumping the fire, well that's just insane!

enjoy the photos

www.firlebonfire.com

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Catherine of Aragon

2009-10-23T03:01:00.000-07:00

We're very pleased and lucky to able to include in our Six wives tours next year, a couple of very special places relating to Catherine of Aragon. The two places are near to each other and are Buckden Towers and Kimbolton castle.
Buckden Towers is where Catherine was living for some time before she was moved to Kimbolton Castle where she died in 1536. The Duke of Suffolk under Henry's orders came to remove her to Fotheringhay in December 1533, but the stout men of Buckden carrying billhooks and choppers defended her and the Duke backed down. Henry VIII himself with Catherine Howard visited the place in 1541
Buckden Towers is now a Claretian missionary centre and does allow limited visiting, there is a friends group that raises funds by putting on Tudor days festival in September and other events through the year. It is a real jewel from the Tudor period in the heart of the Huntingdon countryside and a peaceful place to visit.
Kimbolton Castle is now a school and not generally open to the public, so we are very pleased to be able to visit by special arrangement. The chapel where Catherine was embalmed is still there, other parts of the original castle are still remain but it was rebuilt in the 1700's. but what a place to go to school!.
Kimbolton parish church nearby is unique, it has the only Tiffany stained glass window in a parish Church in England, it is superb and is included on our tour.
Our grateful thanks to the staff of both for allowing us to visit.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Dover Castle

2009-10-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

The new Henry II Keep exhibition was the centre piece of a hugely enjoyable visit to Dover castle organised by English Heritage and Visit Kent to show off the new exibition to people from tourism and travel organisations
Henry II was actually our guide for the morning taking us through the keep and showing off his state rooms, bedchamber,guest rooms and halls together with kitchen, bakery and brewery in the basement. Henry II the great grandson of William the Conqueror in his red regal robes was truly inspiring to have as our guide, full of anecdotes and wit. With smoke from real log fires,we were easily transported back to the 1180's and his court.
Dover castle is huge and has a commanding view over the Channel right over to France. There is plenty for everyone with events throughout the year. It is divided into five distinct areas. Early Roman and Saxon history, Medieval Dover. Dover's defences, Garrison life and finally Dover at war, the secret wartime undergroud tunnels.
There are extensive wartime tunnels dating back to 1797 and were greatly extended leading up to the second world war. The evacuation of the British army from Dunkirk in 1940 was planned from these very underground vaults.
An excellent day and place to visit and thanks to those involved in planning the day.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Battle of Hastings 2009

2009-10-12T03:16:00.000-07:00

With the help of over four hundred enactors including some cavalry and together with several thousand spectators the 1066 Battle of Hastings was re-enacted on the original site at Battle over the weekend.
Not exactly Tudor, but none the less a seminal moment in the nation's history and only about a dozen miles from here.
It was well worth going to see with lots of side attractions including a kids battle on the south lawn. Two lines of eager kids from 3 to 12 years old glaring and screaming their war cries at each other, rattling their plastic swords on their wooden shields before coming together in a chaotic melee.
There was cavalry demonstrations, falconry, story telling and medieval music in the Abbey ruins, have a go archery and skill at arms displays to keep everyone amused.
The re-enactors camp next to the battlefield was full of authentic scenes with tents, cooking pots suspended over wood fires, children filling sausages though a cows horn, toddlers playing with belts and buckles. Men playing a board game, sharpening swords and burnishing their armour. There was even a small Viking longship of the type that Duke William would have used to transport his army across the channel
Now the curious thing was, when the time came to get tooled up for the fight it was all done in near silence. All the warriors were in small groups putting on their chain mail and armour, choosing helmets, sheilds and the rest of their equipment with hardly any chatter or bravado. It must have very much the same during the build up to the real thing 943 years ago.
The crowd played their part, booing Duke William when he was introduced and when he won, (on the several occasions we,ve been to the battle he always gets booed, don't know why)
The battle produced clashing shield walls, cold steel sword fights, flying arrows and the thunder of horses hooves charging up to the shield wall of the Saxons, they must have been very brave men to have withstood a charge like that.
A hugely enjoyable family day out and well done to the English Heritage team that produced the weekend.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Chesworth House

2009-10-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

I tried to get Chesworth House in Horsham West Sussex on my tour itenerary for next year but with no sucess.
Chesworth House is where Catherine Howard was brought up and the place where she was supposed to have had a little dalliance shall we say.
Not a really big place and until very recently the House was a wedding venue with beautiful lawns and a chapel but is now in private ownership. I went to visit the owner who is not English to try and include it on my six wives tour. The owner was aware of the historic importance of the house but was not inclined to be part of my plans.
A bit of a let down really but I will try again and keep trying as it is one of those places that is still standing and off the tourist trail.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Tudor days at Upnor castle

2009-10-02T06:13:00.001-07:00

Tudor days weekend festival at Upnor castle near Rochester in Kent. This festival,includes Archery displays, a campagn encampment, pedlars, jesters and knights in armour having at each other in deadly combat. One poor knight did actually get a glancing blow during one melee that needed the assistance of the first aiders and a visit to the loacl A&E department. We were actually graced with the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I who was visting for the day to the only castle she ordered to be built. Children were spellbound by her presence and the grown ups too. All in all it was a very good day with fine weather.

English Heritage look after this castle which really did see action in the dutch raid of 1667.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Hatfield House

2009-10-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

Went to Hatfield House, the childhood home of Elizabeth I last weekend and what a place it is. The weather was warm and sunny and the light for takling photos was superb. There was a wedding on in the Old Palace so we couldn't go inside but the outside was majestic in the sunlight.
In The main House there was a TV company filming a Miss Marples episode but were resting on the day we were there. However in the great Hall the famous Rainbow painting of Elizabeth I was missing. Oh No it wasn't, it was hidden behind a specially built wall to protect it from the TV arc lights. Well this wall was an Oak contruction right up until you touched it, the reality-it was plastic, but not even the rooms guides knew that. Look out for the next installment of Miss Marples you won't see the join.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Visit to Kennilworth

2009-09-29T01:25:00.000-07:00

We went to Kennilworth over the weekend to see the new Elizabeth gardens that English Heritage have painstakingly researched and recreated.
The castle itself is huge and mostly in ruins, only the gatehouse and stable block are in use and there is a very good exhibition of the life of the castle and who lived there. The gate house has been restored to the setting of the people who lived in there in the 1930's together with an exhibition of Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester. This is very good and holds your interest well throughout.
The real centrepiece of the visit was the knot gardens. The privy gardens that Dudley created to impress Elizabeth in the summer progress of 1575. They are superb, and the sort of place that you can go back to at different times of the year and see something different. next year the plants will be a little bit more mature and will be a splendid site in the springtime.

We also went to see Kimbolton Castle and Buckden Towers, two places that are important in the later life of Catherine of Aragon. Buckden is a tranquil place that is now owned by the Claretian Missionaries and Kimbolton has been a school for a number of years and is not generally open to the public. In the nearby parish church there is the only Tiffany stained glass window in a parish church in England and worth a little look.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Henry VIII study day at Parham House Sussex.

2009-09-23T02:10:00.000-07:00

I had a superb day yesterday at Parham House near Storrington in Sussex built in 1557.see www.parhaminsussex.co.uk.
A whole day set aside to study all about Henry VIII and how he lived, how splendid is that?
Sitting in the Great hall at Parham full of people and with a larger than life portrait of Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester gazing down on me from one side and Elizabeth I from another was inspiring to say the least.
Author and historian Robert Hutchinson started the day with a talk on Henry and his failing health and ailments later in his life.
Marc Meltonville from Hampton Court Palace kitchens gave a facinating talk on the food prepared for Henry. Dr Sue Berry spoke on the property owning courtiers and how they managed up and down the greasy pole of the Tudor Court.
Professor Maurice Howard talked about the construction and Architecture of Tudor houses. Finally medical man Steve Bacon, not only spoke but gave some practical demonstrations of the perils of letting medical men near you in Tudor times including handing round live leeches for us to inspect!!.

All in all a truly great day in a wonderful setting and thanks to Parham House staff for putting the day on.

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Warrior Queen

2009-09-18T07:37:00.001-07:00

I went to Upnor castle near Rochester in Kent today. The only Castle that Elizabeth I ordered to be built in her entire Reign. It's mostly still original and is evocative of the Tudor period. It was used in the defence of the Realm right up to the second world war. It is where according to local sources that the immortal words " Britannia Rules The waves" were first spoken when Elizabeth visited the castle.

See the program of tours for next year that will include Elizabeth- The Child, the Lover and Warrior Queen

www.tudorhistorytours.com

Elizabeth I famous Armada speech

2009-09-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

I made a visit to Tilbury last week to see the Fort and the place where Elizabeth I gave her most stirring speech " I am come amung you...." only by a chance meeting with a great local character who explained where it is and the help of the landowner of the Manor and church was I able to find it. What a surprise it was, after a walk behind the church and through the graveyard to come across an isolated spot with a majestic view over the Thames Estuary. Maybe the locals don't want the spot to be a large tourist attraction as the village pub is called the Kings Head. I do think though that English Heritage should fund a plaque on the spot.