Berkeley Castle, in Gloucestershire, has been home to the Berkeley family for around 900 years, with the exception of a 50-year period when it fell into the hands of the Crown. Here you can watch or read about a brief history of the castle, including details relating to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s week-long stay at …
If houses could be Hollywood starlets, then Theobalds, in Hertfordshire, (actually pronounced ‘Tibbles’) would most certainly make the grade! It became renowned in its own, short lifetime as being one of the finest houses of the age. One Elizabethan visitor called it ‘magnificent’, saying that it was noted for its number of turrets and ‘unrivalled …
A little later than scheduled, on 8 or 9 July 1535, Henry VIII set out from Windsor Castle in Berkshire on what would become one of the longest and most politically significant progresses of his reign: the 1535 progress. Anne, still the king’s ‘most dere and entierly beloved lawfull wiff’, was at his side, as …
A persistent story connects Mary Queen of Scots with ‘marmelade’. In this apocryphal story, Mary Queen of Scots suffered from seasickness and her doctor concocted a sugary orange mixture to make her feel better and ‘marmelade’ was born. According to that story, the name marmalade came from ‘Marie est malade’ which translates from French into …
Acton Court is an exquisite example of a courtier’s house from the early Tudor period. I will say more about it in a moment, but probably the thing that makes Acton Court stand out is the fact that the house is in a raw state, which makes it one of the most authentic Tudor properties …