2-Day Itinerary: London
If you are visiting London but only have two days to spare and you are wondering about some of the must-see Tudor places in London to visit, then look no further! Here are my recommendations for my ‘BIG three’ must-see locations: Westminster Abbey and Hall, The Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. However, if you need extra inspiration for more places to visit, or you are looking to substitute in a different location, then I am including a link to download my ‘Tudor London Made Easy Guide‘. This highlights 17 locations in London with links to Tudor history.
In the meantime, let’s do some immersive time travelling!
Your Itinerary:
Day One: Westminster Hall & Abbey and the Tower of London.
Westminster Abbey is the first of my ‘Big Three’ Tudor hotspots in London. Head to the City of Westminster to visit Westminster Abbey and Hall in the morning. I strongly recommend arriving at the Abbey early, before it opens. This way, you will have the chance to get ahead of the crowds, which can be substantial, even out of the usual high summer tourist season. January and February are the best times to visit if you are trying to avoid crowds.
If you arrive well ahead of time, remember that the Cellarium Cafe, associated with the Abbey, opens at 8 am. This is 1.5 hours ahead of the Abbey opening time of 9.30 am (Monday-friday) and one hour ahead on Saturday when the Abbey opens at 9 am. The Abbey is closed to tourists but open for services on Sunday. You access the cafe outside the abbey’s opening hours via Dean’s Yard.
Do book your entrance tickets to the Abbey ahead of your visit. It can save you substantial time queuing at peak times. Also, I recommend, at the very least, booking a ticket to the Jubilee Galleries to view some of the most treasured artefacts in Westminster Abbey’s possession, including the funeral effigies of Henry VII, Elizabeth of York and Mary I. There is also Elizabeth I’s corset (from her funeral effigy) and a prayer book of Margaret Beaufort. From the Galleries, you can also see the most spectacular views of the priceless Cosmati Pavement, the choir and the nave. Remember, this is where Henry VIII would have watched Anne Boleyn’s coronation from behind his ‘latticed screen’!
You might also want to book onto the Abbey’s ‘Hidden Highlights’ tour. This hour-long guided tour takes you behind the scenes to visit places that otherwise are not open to the public, such as the Jerusalem Chamber and the medieval library. These can get booked up well in advance, so make sure to plan well ahead of your intended travel dates.
Before we go, here are some ‘must sees’ that are sometimes overlooked:
- Must-Sees:
- The tombs – the most difficult to find is that of Edward VI, as it is a plaque on the floor near the tomb of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. If you want to read more about some of the royal Tudor tombs at Westminster, click here and here.
- The Coronation Chair – This is located in a glass-fronted area adjacent to the west doors. Edward I commissioned it to hold a stone called the Stone of Scone, captured from the Scots in 1296 (returned 1996). The chair is made of oak. It was initially covered in gold leaf and decorated in coloured glass. The lions at the base of the chair date from 1728.
- Anne of Cleves tomb – This is to the right of the high altar. The tomb is unfinished and easily missed. See the connection between the tomb and my involvement in the discovery of the Anne of Cleves Heraldic panels here:
- Don’t forget to visit the cloisters, the pyx chamber (where the Crown Jewels were stored in the medieval period), and the chapter house.
Across from the Abbey are the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the United Kingdom’s government. Before visiting the Hall, you might want to check out two further historical sites along the way. The first is St Margaret’s Church, which sits directly adjacent to the south side of the Abbey. it was built during the reign of Henry VIII in 1523. Two famous burials to look out for Wenceslaus Hollar (who drew the fantastic Tudor cityscapes of London) and Sir Walter Raleigh.
Next, head behind the east end of the Abbey to find the Jewel Tower. Besides Westminster Hall, The Jewel Tower is the only survivor from the old medieval Palace of Westminster. As the name suggests, it was built in the 1360s as a secure store for royal treasure within the private palace of Edward III.
Westminster Hall is one of two surviving buildings from the medieval Palace of Westminster, which burnt to the ground in the mid-nineteenth century. It has ‘the largest medieval timber roof in Northern Europe. Measuring 20.7 by 73.2 metres (68 by 240 feet), the roof was commissioned in 1393 by Richard II, and is a masterpiece of design. It has witnessed many State occasions, is truly magnificent and will take your breath away.
Some of the critical events you will be interested in as a lover of Tudor history are the following: the scene of coronation banquets including Anne Boleyn’s in 1533; tragically, also the scene of numerous Tudor state trials including Sir Thoms More (1535), John Cardinal Fisher (1535), four of the men accused alongside Anne Boleyn in 1536 (excepting George Boleyn), the Protector Somerset (1551), 4th Duke of Norfolk (1572) and Edmund Campion and other Jesuits (1581).
Look out for the plaques on the floor commemorating these state trials and various lying-in-state events, including that commemorating the trial of Sir Thomas More and the lying-in-state of like Winston Churchill and the late Queen Elizabeth II. Also, make sure you use the account of Anne Boleyn’s coronation in In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn to try and identify the upper window from which Henry VIII watched the coronation banquet below. Imagine Charles Brandon riding into the hall on his charger. WOW!
Visits to Westminster Hall must be booked in advance, and it is not always open to the public. So, you will need to do your research ahead of time and plan your visit carefully. Generally, the Hall is open when Parliament is NOT sitting. Therefore, it tends to be open on Saturdays, with more dates over the Parliamentary summer recess. If you are a UK resident, you can contact your MP to arrange access at any mutually convenient time for free.
When you are finished, head to Westminster pier and take a Clipper to the Tower of London. It is by far the most interesting, invigorating and pleasant way to move between these two locations. Although, of course, the Underground is also a convenient option. The nearest stop is Westminster, found on the corner of Parliament Square.
This is the second of my ‘Big Three’ Tudor locations in London. It is an austere place with a formidable and chilling reputation. Combining this with a morning visit to Westminster Abbey will undoubtedly be a packed, and quite long, day.
You will easily be able to spend half a day visiting the Tower of London. If you follow this guide and come to the Tower for the afternoon, you might be able to witness The Ceremony of the Keys, which takes place every evening, as it has done, unchanged for centuries. Admission is by pre-booked ticket only at 9.30 pm and leaves from the main entrance. It is extremely popular, and the demand for tickets is high. So, good luck!
Regardless, at the end of your day, can feel satisfied that you will have nailed two out of the three most important locations in London for Tudor history lovers to visit.
Having arrived at the Tower Pier by Clipper or Tower Hill by Tube, you might want to enjoy a bite to eat by the riverside. I can recommend eating lunch at the Coppa Club. it is right next to the Tower Pier and the river front. If you are organised and can afford it, I’d book one of the pods outside. (You need to commit to spending a minimum amount when you dine in a pod so check on that in advance and don’t be caught with a hefty bill that you weren’t expecting). They make for a special occasion and will be the icing on your cake for the day!
Right, back to the history of the Tower. Here are some highlights of the history of the Tower and notable Tudor locations associated with it:
Early History of the Tower:
1100: William I (the Conqueror) completes the Tower’s central keep.
1240: The White Tower only became known as such after it was painted white in 1240 during Henry III’s reign so that it would be visible for miles! This was a Palace-Fortress designed to impress as well as subdue a potentially rebellious population.
Tudor Times:
The Tower as Palace:
1503: Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII, died following childbirth, in 1503, on her 37th birthday. The child, a daughter named Katherine also died.
1533: In preparation for Anne Boleyn’s coronation, Henry VIII ordered new Royal apartments to be built. On 29th May 1533, Anne arrived at the Tower by the river, surrounded by a flotilla of other barges to be greeted by the King. The couple then processed to the new royal apartments where they spent time preparing for her coronation. This included Anne being presented with plate for her household from the Jewel House.
The Tower as a Treasury:
Henry VII had a jewel house built at the Tower, just in front of the White Tower, facing towards the riverside. This is where the King kept vast quantities of coin and, it is thought, the coronet placed on his head at Bosworth.
The Tower as a Prison:
Many high-ranking prisoners were kept at the Tower during the Tudor era including: Sir Thomas More, Bishop John Fisher, Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Katherine Howard and her lady-in-waiting Lady Jane Rochford, the future Elizabeth I when she was still Princess Elizabeth, Lady Jane Grey, Anne Askew, Margaret Pole and many other unfortunates.
Both More and Fisher were executed on nearby Tower Hill. Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey and Margaret Pole were all executed within the Tower and are buried at St Peter ad Vincula. The headless body of St John Fisher is buried among the corpses of hundreds of executed prisoners in the crypt of the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London, whilst his head is believed to be buried under the porch of All Hallows-by-the-Tower, the oldest church in the City of London. More’s bones are also now deposited in the crypt of the same chapel.
Anne Askew was illegally tortured at the Tower in an attempt to get her to implicate Queen Katherine Parr in heresy. She didn’t.
Lady Jane Grey came to the Tower in 1553. It was tradition for a new monarch to take possession of the Royal Palace and to prepare for their coronation. However, Mary Tudor was victorious in quickly raising support for her claim to the throne. Support for Jane fell away, and the palace turned into her prison. Lady Jane was tried at the Guildhall on 13 November 1553 and found guilty of treason. She remained a prisoner and perhaps could have been eventually pardoned. However, the Wyatt Rebellion in early 1554, persuaded Mary that as long as Jane lived, she could be a potential figurehead for Protestant uprisings.
Jane was executed at the Tower on 12th February 1554 and was buried in St Peter ad Vincula.
As a princess, Elizabeth I spent eight weeks at the Tower in 1554. While there she was interrogated regarding her involvement in the Wyatt Rebellion, which sought to depose Catholic Mary and replace her with the Protestant Elizabeth. Elizabeth kept her nerve, and no evidence could be found against her. Elizabeth was released and transferred to Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, where she was kept under strict house arrest.
Anne Boleyn is probably the most famous prisoner at the Tower. She was brought there following her arrest at Greenwich Palace on 2 May 1536. She disembarked at the Queen’s Stairs by the Byward Tower. She would never see the outside world again. the Queen was lodged in the Royal apartments, which had been built for her coronation in 1533.
Her trail took place in the Great Hall, part of the royal palace on 15 May. She was tried alongside her brother nad both were found guilty of treason. The five men found guilty alongside her: her brother, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton, Mark Smeaton were executed the following day, 16 MAy on Tower Hill. Anne died on a specially erected scaffold on the north side of the White Tower on the morning of 19 May. Having been wrapped in white linen, and placed in an arrow chest, her body was buried in an unmarked grave in the nearby Royal Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula.
If you would like to hear more about the Tower as a prison, there is a member only episode in podcast fil, which you can access via my meember-only podcast page here.
Visiting Today
The Tudors would still recognise the Tower as it is today, and we can still see the postern gate through which Anne Boleyn entered at her coronation and imprisonment. The Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula is a working chapel. Regular services are open to the public (although as you will see, this does not entitle you to free access to the Tower). If you are lucky, you can access the chapel at certain times. I have found this usually involves schmoozing one of the very distinctive and usually friendly Beefeaters!
Unfortunately, the royal apartments that Anne Boleyn stayed in before her coronation in execution no longer exist. Nor does the Great Hall in which she and her brother were tried. Only the stone footings of the Cold Harbour Gate, which separated the inner (royal) ward from the outer ward survive. of course, this is the gate through which Anne Boleyn walked to her execution. However, the onion-shaped turrets on top of the White Tower, placed there in 1533 as part of the refurbishment of the Tower for Anne’s coronation can still be seen in all their resplendent glory!
- What to see and do:
- Crown Jewels
- St Peter ad Vincula
- The Medieval Royal Palace
- The White Tower to see the Chapel of St John the Evangelist and Henry VIII’s armour
- The Beauchamp Tower to see graffiti of prisoners (but look out in all of the towers)
- Do I have to pay?
- HRP Membership
- Book Online beforehand and go straight to the entrance.
Tower Hill Scaffold
Origin of Tower Hill as an Execution Site:
The first execution on Tower Hill was carried out by a mob, who beheaded Simon Sudbury, Bishop of London, on the site during the Peasants Revolt of 1381. In 1485, a permanent scaffold was erected on Tower Hill. It was used for the final time in 1747.
Tudor Times:
Many Notable Executions at Tower Hill including: Sir Thomas More and Bishop Fisher and the men caught up in the downfall of Anne Boleyn. On the 17 May, all five men were taken from the Tower to the place of execution on Tower Hill. Theirs would be a public execution, commuted from being hung, drawn and quartered to death to beheading. The men were put to deth by order of rank. This meant that George Boleyn, Lord Rochford was beheaded first followed by Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, Sir William Brereton and finally after watching the horror unfold, poor Mark Smeaton.
What is there now:
A memorial garden was created during the reign of Queen Victoria and now sits within a larger memorial park dedicated to those who lost their lives at sea during the World Wars and who have no graves.
What to see and do:
You will find a small paved garden on the site. Some of the names of those notables who lost their lives on Tower Hill are commemorated but sadly, not all. Some of those missing are the five men mentioned above, who were ensnared in the fall of Anne Boleyn. The other memorials in the garden commemorate members of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets killed during World War One and Two.
Do I have to pay?
No, it’s a free park.
How to get there:
Walk up the hill with the Tower on your right and cross over the pedestrian crossing to cross the busy road.
Day Two: Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is the third location of my ‘Big Three’ Tudor hotspots. It is a must for any first-time visitor to England as it is the only Tudor palace to survive. even then, half of the palace was demolished during the reigns of William and Mary with a Baroque palace replacing some of the Tduro ranges, notably those around Fountain Court which once contained the Queen’s Privy lodging range. Due to the death of Queen Mary and a shortage of funds, the renovation project was abandoned – thank goodness! This leaves us with a somewhat Schizophrenic building: half-Tudor – half-Baroque.
What remains is the outer Base Court, the original royal lodging range in Clock Court (although much of this has been disastrously meddled with over the centuries so that the interiors have been almost entirely lost and many of the spaces are not open to the public) the staterooms, including the Great Hall, Great Watching Chamber, Council Chamber, Haunted Gallery, chapel and kitchens.
Below, you will find a summary of the origins and Tudor history of the palace, as well as some pointers as to often overlooked /less well known features to look out for that might not be included in the usual guide books.
Hampton Court Palace is featured in more detail in my two co-authored In the Footsteps books. However, as a valued member of The Ultimate Guide, I am also including a link to my digital miniguide on Hampton Court called, A Tudor Day Out…in Hampton Court (only usually available in my shop) to compliment this text.
Hampton Court Palace Timeline:
1086: Built by Water de St Valerie
1200s: Ownership transferred to Henry de St Alban
1236: Knights Hospitaliers – land rented or sold by Henry de St Alban
1494: Giles Daubeney – Lord Chancellor to Henry VII. (You can see Giles Daubeney’s tomb in Westminster Abbey)
1514: On midsummers day, 21 June 1514, an indenture was granted from Thomas Docwra, prior of the Knight’s Hospitaller, to ‘the most Rev. Father in God Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York’ for the lease of Hampton Court for a term of 99 years at a rent of £50 per annum. Wolsey goes on to create a magnificent English palace with deeply Italianate influences.
He demolished the existing moated manor and built the red-bricked palace we know today – base court & inner court (Clock Court); a great hall on the ground floor, a privy lodging range (3 floors), kitchens, a magnificent gallery and began work on the chapel.
1529: Henry VIII took possession of Hampton Court. The main addition to the building was the completion of the chapel, including the carved oak ceiling, the creation of an additional level on top of the existing privy gallery and the construction of a new courtyard on the east side of the palace. Around this courtyard, the new Queen’s Apartments were built. These were initially intended for occupation by Anne Boleyn but were not occupied until after Jane Seymour’s death.
1533: on 28 November, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII, marrys Mary Howard in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court.
1534: The stillbirth of Anne Boleyn’s second child in the old queen’s privy lodging range (the room still exists but is not accessible to visitors).
1537: The birth of the future Edward VI in the old queen’s bed chamber (the same room mentioned above), followed just days later by the death of his mother, Jane Seymour.
1541: The arrest of Katherine Howard.
1543: Henry marries to Katherine Parr in the queen’s closet at Hampton Court Palace
1760: George III becomes king and abandons Hampton Court as a royal residence, turning it into ‘grace and favour’ apartments.
Visiting Today
Must-Sees: There is so much to see at Hampton Court. hence we have dedicated the entire day to visiting this one location. You will want to take your time to drink it all in. Perhaps even wander around the palace for a second time!
Of course, the Hampton Court Palace shop has guide books for sale. However, these necessarily have to cater for the later history of the palace, thus diluting the amount of time and space dedicated to exploring all its Tudor nooks and crannies. As Connoisseurs of Tudor history, I know you don’t want to miss a thing. Hence I have created my Your Tudor Day Out…in Hampton Court Palace digital miniguide (which I encourage you to download) and am highlighting some of those often missed features below – that is unless you know what to look out for, of course!
Wolsey’s lost range: In Clock Court, look out for he imprint of Wolsey’s ‘lost wing’ of the palace, picked out on the ground. This is what Clock Court would have initially looked like before the wing was demolished and the later portico added that you will see today.
The Old Royal Apartments: Also in Clock Court, with your back to the astronomical clock, admire the old royal apartments stacked over three floors. These were initially intended for Princess Mary (on the ground floor), Henry VIII (the first floor) and the Queen (on the second floor). At ground floor level an archway was punched straight through the middle of Princess Mary’s lodgings during the later redevelopment of the palace. During the Tudor period, it would have formed one continuous range.
Site of Henry VIII’s Wardrobe and Stairs. Also in this range, but to the right of the central archway is a turret tower. Today, it is signposted as a buggy park and locker room. Poke your head into the doorway. You will see a flight of wooden spiral stairs of some age. The modern-day locker room was the site of the King’s Privy Wardrobe, where some of his clothes were stored, cared for and readied daily. They would then be taken up that spiral staircase and at the top, handed to a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. We will momentarily come to the top of those stairs to pick up the story…
In the Great Hall: Look out for the initials ‘HA’ carved into the oak screen that separates the screen’s passage (as you enter) from the main body of the hall. there are two sets, one on your right as you walk in and one of your left. You must enter the hall and turn around to examine the screen. The initials are above head height but clearly visible.
More recently a new falcon badge has been added to the exhibits on display in the great hall. This was recently rediscovered, and according to Paul FitzSimmons who discovered the badge on an auction site, work to research its origins has shown ‘an incredible likeness in both size and design to the 43 surviving falcon badges decorating the ‘frieze’ above the windows and hammer beams in the palace’s Great Hall’. This means that the badge is a likely element of the room’s original Tudor scheme.
In the Great Watching Chamber: As you pass from the Great Hall to the Great Watching Chamber, look immediately to your right. The closed doors show the remains of the entrance to the Presence Chamber. The area beyond these doors has been drastically reconfigured, and all the interiors stripped out. These spaces are not open to the public, but this doorway hints at what has been lost. It also shows how the palace’s rooms flowed from one to the other. If you want more details about this sequence, you can download my guide How to Read a Tudor House.
Henry VIII’s Privy Chamber and Bedchamber: As I have already mentioned, the rooms beyond the State apartments that once made of the King and Queen’s lodgings have been extensively remodelled over the centuries, particularly when the palace was turned over to being ‘grace and favour’ apartments and was no longer used as a royal palace. However, using old floor plans, we can make out the area once occupied by Henry VIII’s Privy Chamber and the King’s first bedchamber (Henry had another bedchamber in the Bayne Tower, which he probably used more often as it afforded greater privacy)
You will find this area of the palace inside The Cumberland Suite. As you pass int it, the first room occupied at least a part of the Privy Chamber, then a short, narrow passage leads through into another room, with three alcoves on the left hand wall as you enter. As you enter the short passageway, the first door is the head of the spiral stairs coming up from the King’s Wardrobe and the second room was once Henry VIII’s Bedchamber.
Notice a blocked-up doorway with a typical Tudor arch that once connected to Wolsey’s rooms, thus giving the Cardinal direct and private access to the King. Although you can see no trace of it now, the wall at the back of this same alcove once connected to the Bayne Tower, which contained he King’s most private rooms.
The Bayne Tower: Speaking of the Bayne Tower, set behind a wall in Fountain Court is the Bayne Tower. Its exterior can be viewed from the courtyard. Although it is a bit of a hotch-potch of architectural styles, you can nevertheless glimpse one of the most private areas of Henry VIII’s personal life. It contained his jewel-house, study, library, offices, wardrobes, bedrooms, bathrooms (with hot running water!) and drop latrines.
In the summer, this courtyard is often turned into an outdoor cafe. It is a lovely place to enjoy coffee/lunch in the summer in more civilised surrounding that the very busy, thoroughly modern, Titlyard Cafe.
The Wolsey Rooms: The Wolsey Rooms are often used as gallery space for special exhibitions, such as the Gold and Glory exhibition of 2021. In between times, it can be closed to the public or stripped back to illustrate its use as a privy suit of rooms, once used by Wolsey. Notice how the chambers get smaller and smaller, typical as we move from more public to intensely private closets. The panelling is original, and you will see a blocked-up doorway in the last room. This once led into the King’s privy gallery. It is a building I would have loved to have seen but sadly was demolished when the new Baroque Palace was built.
The Real Tennis Court. Built in 1528, the real tennis court at Hampton Court is the oldest in England. You need to head out the back of the palace and into the garden to access it. Wonderfully, the court continues as a working real tennis club. However, opening to the public seems patchy. So, best to check ahead of time to see if it will be open. Details of the royal tennis court can be found here.
The Stables: About 100 m down Hampton Court Road are the original stables used to house the King’s horses. Incredibly it survives and is STILL used as a stable today. It is not open to the public as far as I know, but you can admire it from the outside.
Tours:
You might not be aware that Hampton Court Palace has several special tours. These allow you to see the palace from different angles…These include tours on ‘Art and Architecture’, ‘Life at the Palace’, ‘Roof top’ tours and Ghost tours.
Prices vary from £130 to £300, depending on the tour.
Check out further details and prices here:
Do I have to pay?
Members: Free (HRP membership: worth it if you visit an HRP property on three occasions in a year if you are single). If you are going to visit two or more HRP properties as a couple, then it is worth buying this in advance.
NB: Quote from HRP website: ‘If you have purchased a membership but live overseas, we will post your membership card to you, but delivery may take longer than the standard 28 days.’
Travel From Westminster
River Cruise:
From Westminster Pier at the base of Big Ben, travellers can take scheduled river cruises with a choice of operators to Hampton Court. The 22-mile journey, depending on the tide, can take as little as 2 1/2 hours up to four hours – an average time of 3 hours.
At the Kingston Bridge, a short 25-minute river cruise takes passengers from Kingston to Hampton Court, departing at 10:45 a.m (always check the relevant website for the latest details).
For additional reading about the early origins of Hampton Court, you might want to check out my blog: Hampton Court: The Emergence of a Tudor Palac
