The 1535 Progress: Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire
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The 1535 Progress: Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire

On Monday 26 July 1535, the royal party left Sudeley Castle and made the seven-mile journey north-west to Tewkesbury. In keeping with protocol for all royal arrivals, the mayor and other dignitaries would have received the king, queen and their retinue just outside the town, with the two parties merging to travel in procession to the cathedral or abbey church.

The 1502 Progress: Coates / Cotes, Gloucestershire
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The 1502 Progress: Coates / Cotes, Gloucestershire

Just as with Beverston, the mention of Cotes as a location on the 1502 progress is fleeting.

Coates is a parish about three miles west of Cirencester in Gloucestershire. During the medieval and Tudor periods, Cirencester was a thriving wool town. Henry had visited Cirencester before, on at least one occasion. The choice of Cotes Place as a lodging for the royal party may have meant that the King could rekindle acquaintances with the wool merchants of the nearby town.

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The Mary Rose Museum & Southsea Castle: Tudor Day Trips From London
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The Mary Rose Museum & Southsea Castle: Tudor Day Trips From London

The Mary Rose Museum is an incredible time capsule, a window onto everyday Tudor life as much as it is England’s Tudor naval history. For when the ship sank, its contents were covered in layers of silt, progressively encasing the wreck. This acted to keep around 40 % of the hull and thousands of artefacts in a fabulous state of preservation. Thus, we are left with a snapshot of the sixteenth century, giving us unique access to the ordinary and extraordinary objects of Tudor life in a way that you will not see elsewhere.

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The 1535 Progress: The Old Palace of Langley, Oxfordshire

After the court had made the twelve-mile journey from Abingdon Abbey, they arrived at the Old Palace of Langley on 16 July , staying for five days. Today, perched on high ground to the south of the village of Shipton-Under-Wychwood, is the small hamlet of Langley, locally famous for being home to a site where it’s traditionally said once stood King John’s Palace. Although the Old Palace of Langley was extensively remodelled in 1858, the converted building includes Tudor walls and It’s still possible to see the initials H E, for Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, on a stone panel at the front of the farmhouse.

The 1535 Progress: Abingdon Abbey, Oxfordshire
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The 1535 Progress: Abingdon Abbey, Oxfordshire

On 14 July 1535, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn made the ten-mile journey from Ewelme to Abingdon en route to Langley. This was not the first time that the couple had relied on the hospitality of this great monastic house, as they had spent time there in late August 1532.

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The 1535 Progress: Ewelme Manor, Oxfordshire

After staying at Reading Abbey, the second stop of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s 1535 progress was Ewelme Manor. While staying there Henry VIII asked for the property to be returned to the crown. Ewelme once more became a royal residence and was used by the king as a lesser house, a place where he retreated for greater privacy with a select group of friends while on hunting trips.

1502 Progress: Beverston Castle, Gloucestershire
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1502 Progress: Beverston Castle, Gloucestershire

If it were not for a single entry in the Queen’s Chamber Books, dated 27 September 1502, when payment was made to Robert Alyn for preparing lodgings for the Queen (see the quote above), we would be none the wiser about the royal visit to Beverston Castle. This would undoubtedly be our loss, as this lovely location has virtually disappeared from our awareness as a place of significance for those following the Tudor trail.

The main reason for this paucity of information is probably that the visit was fleeting. After five days resting at Berkeley Castle, the royal entourage was on the move and pressing on to reach the next notable destination on the geists: Fairford, where they were to be guests of the wealthy wool merchant Sir Edmund Tame. In a subsequent post, we will hear more about the Tame family and this fascinating location. 

However, even this transitory stay gives us ample excuse to bring Beverston back into the spotlight and discover its unassuming charms.

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The 1535 Progress: Reading Abbey, Berkshire
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The 1535 Progress: Reading Abbey, Berkshire

On 8 July 1535, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn left Windsor Castle bound for Reading Abbey. The twelfth century monastery was founded by William the Conqueror’s youngest son, Henry I, and was the first stop on a summer progress to the West Country and Hampshire, and at only a day’s ride away from Windsor, it was a very convenient staging post.