Shaw House: Ambition, Wealth & Epic Social Climbing in Elizabethan England
The header image is a painting showing a view of the south elevation of Shaw House, with two ladies wearing…
Coronation Gowns: Sensational Royal Dress Through Time
Queen Elizabeth II’s reign of the United Kingdom spanned seven decades. Born in 1926, Elizabeth was the daughter of King…
Markenfield Hall: The Loveliest Place You’ve Never Heard Of
A medieval, moated and much-loved family home, Markenfield Hall is a historic house unlike any other. Set within stunning Yorkshire…
Cowdray House & the Sinister Curse of Fire and Water
Every now and again, a tragedy befalls a Tudor house that is so catastrophic that the sorry tale makes you…
The Battle of Stoke Field: A Bloody Rout Ends the Wars of the Roses
Now part of the Nottinghamshire countryside, the Battle of Stoke Field was witness to the final major conflict in the…
Lost & Found: Remarkable Survival of Monastic Books
On 15 January 1535, King Henry VIII was proclaimed Supreme Head of the Church of England. In a bid to…
Mortlake Manor: Cromwell’s Palatial Residence on the Thames
The subject of today’s blog is a place that I would bet very few Tudor history fans know about. Yet,…
West Horsley Place: At Home with Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter
I am delighted to be hosting a stop on Sylvia Barbara Soberton’s virtual book tour for her new book The…
Woodstock Manor: An Ancient Pleasure Palace and Doleful Prison
Recently, I visited Blenheim Park in North Oxfordshire; the site of the once magnificent Woodstock Manor, the most ancient, royal…
Busks, Busk-Points, Courtship and Sexual Desire in Early Modern Europe
Please note: THIS BLOG CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT AND EXPLICIT SEXUAL REFERENCES I have long been fascinated by Tudor dress, from…