BOOK INTO BEAUTIFUL, HISTORIC PLACES TO STAY!
Add the icing to the cake of your perfect Tudor-themed vacation by staying at some of the most fabulous and historic hotels, Inns and B&Bs in the UK.
Choose By County…
Check-in to West Stow Hall for a fabulous place to stay on your Tudor road trip. Once owned by Mary Tudor’s (Queen of France) Master of the Horse, this is a jaw-dropping building that provides guests with a warm welcome from their hosts. West Stow Hall has the advantage of being very conveniently situated to access Bury St Edmunds and an excellent base for part of our 4-day tour of Suffolk.
The Old Hall is owned and meticulously cared for by old friends of The Tudor Travel Guide, Brigitte & Tom Webster. They have poured their heart and soul into bringing this early sixteenth-century house back to being a comfortable family home. Brigitte is an expert on Tudor cooking, and you can expect to be immersed in the Tudor past during your stay.
Cawood Castle is steeped in history. Stay in the gatehouse, knowing that this was once a great archepiscopal palace owned by the Archbishops of York. Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VIII and Catherine Howard rode through the gatehouse arch. It was at Cawood that Thomas Wosley was arrested for treason in 1530. Today, what remains of the palace has been restored and is cared for by the Landmark Trust.
Do you want to lay your head at night where at least ten Kings and Queens of England have slept. King John’s Palace is a luxury self-accommodation that has six double bedrooms and sleeps up to 12 people. Your cottage was originally part of an old medieval palace, better known during the Tudor period as ‘The Old Manor of Langley’. It was visited by Henry VII & Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Princess Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I.
Thornbury Castle is another place where you can sleep where Tudor royalty once lodged. It was once the home of the 3rd Duke of Buckingham. He lost his head for treason in 1521, leaving the castle only partially completed, giving the front range its rather lopsided appearance. Thornbury Castle is now a 5-star luxury hotel. It is extra special, as you can sleep in the bedchamber used by Henry VIII during the 1535 progress when Anne Boleyn was at his side.
Sudeley Castle is a must for any Tudor time traveller. It is one of the most idyllic and picturesque Tudor locations, nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds. It is famous for being the final home and resting place of Queen Katherine Parr, the sixth Queen Consort of Henry VIII. She lived at the castle with her husband, Thomas Seymour, during the final few months of her life and is buried in Sudeley’s private chapel.
If you are visiting West Sussex, perhaps as part of my weekend away itinerary, you might like to consider checking into this early fifteenth-century coaching inn. The Spread Eagle retains so many delightful medieval features, including a bedroom thought to have been used by Elizabeth I during her 1591 progress to Sussex.
The glorious Fawsley Hall Hotel and Spa is set amid the sleepy Northamptonshire countryside. The house was aggrandised in the mid-sixteenth century after the Knightley family, who owned it, were rewarded for their role as commissioners in confiscating monastic lands after the Dissolution. The great hall and its oriel window are divine. You can also stay in the bedroom used by Elizabeth I during her stay at Fawsley in 1575.
Hever Castle is the Mecca for any Anne Boleyn fan. If you can book into the adjoining Astor wing and enjoy Hever’s luxury bed & breakfast accommodation, I encourage you to do so. It is delightful to sleep just a stone’s throw away from the castle and wander the grounds after the gates have closed to the public – pure magic! Breakfast in the Astor wing’s replica great hall, is one of my favourite things. It’s so civilized!
The land where Amberley Castle stands was gifted to Bishop Wilfrid in 683 AD by Caedwalla, King of Wessex, and the castle’s current buildings owe their origins to a timber-framed hunting lodge built in 1103 by Bishop Luffa. In 1526, Henry VIII visited Amberley to seek advice from Bishop Sherborne regarding the annulment he sought from his Spanish wife, Katherine of Aragon.
This incredible Grade II listed property was built during the fifteenth century. As a gatehouse, it was constructed as a defensive entrance to the village of Bolton Percy. The Old Gatehouse is rich in history and character with original features, including some carved Tudor roses that are still intact.
Located just south of Shrewsbury, Pitchford Hall is a remarkable example of half-timber work, While many of its sixteenth century features have been lost, the panelling and ceiling in the drawing room are thought to date back to the 1600s. Now a holiday let, guests are lucky enough to stay in the oldest part of the Hall, constructed in 1549.
Before the current iteration of the house, there was a medieval manor onsite. During the early Tudor period, Sir William Kingston (infamous as Anne Boleyn’s goaler) owned Miserden House. The house we see today dates back to the 1620s, and the gardens, now open to the public, were designed at a similar time and are now amongst the longest in private ownership.
Court House Farm sits in Portishead’s pretty, coastal town. An ancient site, Court House Farm is home to a medieval manor and a Tudor manor house. After recent restoration, visitors can now enjoy stays in the Tudor and medieval manor houses.
Freston Tower is arguably the oldest building of its kind in England. With six floors and twenty-six windows, Freston Tower is striking, with views overlooking the estuary of the River Orwell. The intricate pattern of its russet bricks and detailed roof with its arcaded parapet (series or arches around the wall of the roof terrace) is evidence of a building designed to be admired.
Buckland Hall sits adjacent to the small, sleepy village of Buckland, near the Worcestershire/ Gloucestershire border. Here, you are on the edge of the Cotswolds, renowned for its beauty, its lush rolling countryside, abundant woodland and pretty chocolate-box villages. This is your chance to stay in a late Tudor building in luxury – so we have included this for those with plenty of wiggle room in the budget! The setting is idyllic, and if you love walking as well as history, there are some fabulous rambles to be enjoyed through the pretty countryside.
Roch Castle sits on the edge of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in West Wales, north of the ‘landsker line’ – a language border that marked the largely English and largely Welsh-speaking areas of the county. In the sixteenth century, the area to the south of the line was referred to as Anglia Transwalliana (Little England beyond Wales). Today, well-restored, Roch Castle is an award-winning hotel. With panoramic views of Pembrokeshire, the castle offers truly magical accommodation.
Hylton Cottage is located in the heart of Lavenham in Suffolk. One of the best preserved medieval towns in the country, Lavenham is a veritable time capsule. Quaint streets are lined with timber-framed houses, many decorated in pretty pastel plaster; some small, some grand, all sloping unevenly this way or that as if inebriated by the passage of time. Hylton Cottage is no exception, with its exposed oak beams and Tudor character.
Cover image: Author’s own, The Guildhall in Lavenham,
Athelhampton House is a charming Tudor manor house, and one of the best preserved in the country. A stay here means you can also enjoy the stunning gardens, available in private during the evenings – the tranquillity is truly enchanting! By arrangement with the Estate Manager, access can be granted to this charming historic house in the evening via a private, guided tour.
The Lygon Arms offers luxury accommodation, including guestrooms, historical suites or a cottage just a short walk from the main hotel. During the Civil War, it is believed that the building was used by King Charles I, who barely escaped arrest when staying at nearby Worcester. Today, his coat of arms adorns the fireplace in the room now named ‘King Charles I Suite’.
Seckford Hall is a historic country house in Woodbridge, Suffolk. The hall’s history dates back to the sixteenth century. Built around 1530 by Thomas Seckford, a close connection of Elizabeth I, the hall served as a residence for the Seckford family. The house features traditional Tudor architecture, with its distinctive half-timbered façade and mullioned windows.
Langley Castle is one of the few medieval fortified castle hotels in the country. Initially built in the fourteenth century, it served primarily as a defensive fortress along the aforementioned Anglo-Scottish border, protecting England against Scottish raids during a period of frequent conflict. Today, Langley Castle has been transformed into a luxurious hotel. With unique feature rooms, its rich history as a medieval fortress makes for genuinely magical accommodation.
The New Inn, Gloucester, is regarded as the most well-preserved example of a galleried medieval courtyard inn in the country. Replacing an older building, the inn was built between 1430-and 1450 by John Twyning, a monk, and originally served as a lodging establishment for the former Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter. Today, The New Inn offers accommodation, a restaurant and a coffee shop.
The Wheatsheaf Inn is a seventeenth-century coaching inn located in the Cotswold town of Northleach, Gloucestershire. This sleepy little settlement, which looks more like a village than a town today, was once an important medieval centre of trade. In fact, it is difficult to believe, but once upon a time, Northleach was the epicentre of the wool trade in Europe.
The historic George Inn is located in Stamford, Lincolnshire, just off the Great North Road. Believed to have received some royal visitors, it is possible, but speculative, that the likes of Henry VII and Henry VIII stayed at The George while passing through the town on their way north to York. Privately owned, the hotel offers a warm and comfortable experience in a beautiful historic building, believed to incorporate parts of the original building from nearly nine hundred years ago.
Leeds Castle sits across two islands in the middle of the River Len, surrounded by 500 acres of delightful parkland. Leeds established itself as a favoured royal residence from the thirteenth century onwards. During the sixteenth century, Henry VIII lavished money on refurbishing apartments, later stayed in by both Katherine of Aragon and Katherine Parr.
Hotel Indigo is a boutique hotel in the heart of Shakespearean market town, Stratford-upon-Avon. Rooms in the original sixteenth-century building have views directly across the street to the site of Shakespeare’s ‘New Place’, his residential home in later life. The hotel has an on-site restaurant offering an exceptional dining experience focusing on sustainability, seasonality and locally sourced produce.
Hole Cottage is the remaining fragment of a late medieval timber-framed hall house. Characteristic of the Kentish architectural style of its era, Hole Cottage is top-heavy with its jettied first storey. It retains many of its original features and is the perfect location base for a Tudor-themed getaway. Tucked away in woodland with one double room and one room with a bunk, it is a cosy space in a quiet, rural setting.
Brancepeth Castle is a historic medieval fortress located in the village of Brancepeth, County Durham. It stands on the site of a former Norman motte-and-bailey castle and has a rich history dating back over nine hundred years. Today, Brancepeth stands as a symbol of the enduring legacy of medieval England. It is now owned privately but the principal rooms are open to the public. It also has a sensitively modernised holiday let.
Cadhay House is a Tudor manor house in rural East Devon, in the parish of Ottery St Mary, about ten miles east of Exeter. A Grade I listed building, Cadhay Manor offers self-catering holiday accommodation for couples and groups, with a range of cottages available, as well as the manor house, which is beautifully restored with modern comforts and sleeps up to 22 people.
Random Hall Hotel in West Sussex was built in the sixteenth century. The house was originally a farmhouse and has undergone various renovations and expansions over the centuries. Today, it operates as a hotel offering accommodation, dining and event facilities.
The King’s Arms is one of the oldest inns in Abergavenny. Built between 1680 and 1700 by Louis Hurley, it is a fine example of a sixteenth—to seventeenth-century coaching house. It offers a variety of room types, all include digital TV, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries and WiFi, Selected dog-friendly rooms are available.
The Old Hall Hotel, reputed to be the oldest hotel in England, dates back to 1573. It was built on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I in 1577 to provide accommodation for Mary Queen of Scots. While steeped in history, the Old Hall Hotel offers modern amenities and comforts for guests.
Beverston Castle is nestled amidst picturesque Gloucestershire countryside. Within its walls lies a seventeenth-century stately stone manor, alongside quaint estate cottages, now transformed into elegant apartments and charming garden accommodation for holiday lets.
Marygreen Manor, located in Brentwood, Essex, is a historic manor house and a fine example of early sixteenth-century architecture. It retains some of its original features, including oak beams and inglenook fireplaces, and provides comfortable and pleasant accommodation.
Morpeth Castle has a rich and varied history. The gatehouse, now the most prominent remaining feature, dates back to the fourteenth century. Beautifully restored, the gatehouse is surrounded by parkland on a plateau above the town of Morpeth, a short drive from the Northumberland coast.
Tucked away in the heart of Suffolk, the Tudor Barn offers a spacious retreat for 25+ guests across its beautifully designed rooms, Combining Tudor charm and modern comforts, it’s the perfect setting for large groups, family reunions or special celebrations.
Astley Castle has a history stretching back over a thousand years. In the fifteenth century, the property became the possession of the Grey family. In 2005, the Landmark Trust stepped in to save the site, undertaking an ambitious restoration project that transfored the property into a luxurious holiday accommodation,
Hedingham Castle is a stunning and well-preserved example of Norman architecture, with many of its original elements still intact. Now privately owned by descendants of the de Vere family, the Castle has exclusive accommodation. Guests can even stay in The Royal Chamber, the only modern bedroom inside such a structure in the country.
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