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. 

Tomb of Cardinal John Morton at Our Lady Undercroft in Canterbury Cathedral.
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Cardinal John Morton, Lord Chancellor and Archbishop of Canterbury

Name and Title: Cardinal John Morton, Lord Chancellor of England and Archbishop of Canterbury,
Born: Circa 1420.
Died: 15 September 1500 at Knole, Kent.
Buried: Our Lady Undercroft of Canterbury Cathedral.

Read more and see images of the tomb here…

Elizabeth Somerset (née Browne), 2nd Countess of Worcester
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Elizabeth Somerset (née Browne), 2nd Countess of Worcester

Name and Title: John Beaufort and Margaret Beauchamp, 1st Duke (also 3rd Earl of Somerset) and Duchess of Somerset (also Lady St John and Lady Welles).

Born: John Beaufort b.1404; Margaret Beauchamp c. 1410

Died: John Beaufort Died: 3 May 1444, London. Margaret Beauchamp Died: before 3 June 1482.

Buried: Wimborne Minster, Dorset.

Read more and see images of the tomb here…

The 1502 Progress: Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire
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The 1502 Progress: Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire

The next significant stop on the 1502 progress after Woolaston was Berkeley Castle, where the royal couple stayed for five days from 29 August to 4 September.

Berkeley Castle still stands largely untouched since it was set in stone during the eleventh, twelfth and fourteenth centuries. 

Berkeley Castle is highly distinctive in appearance. Built on a typical Norman motte and bailey design during the early and mid-medieval period, it has been constructed from local pink, grey, and yellow Severn sandstone, with its roofs mainly made of Cotswold stone, slate, or lead. 

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Hatfield House: Tudor Day Trips From London
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Hatfield House: Tudor Day Trips From London

We visit the Old Palace of Hatfield, one of the most significant places in the life of Elizabeth I. It was here that the 3-month old princess was brought from London to establish her first household under the watchful eye of Sir John and Lady Shelton, the uncle and aunt of Anne Boleyn. Some twenty-five years later, it was reputedly while sitting under the gnarled oak tree in the Great Park at Hatfield that Princess Elizabeth heard of the death of her sister, Mary, and therefore of her accession to the throne of England.

John and Margaret Beaufort, 1st Duke and Duchess of Somerset.
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John and Margaret Beaufort, 1st Duke and Duchess of Somerset.

Name and Title: John Beaufort and Margaret Beauchamp, 1st Duke (also 3rd Earl of Somerset) and Duchess of Somerset (also Lady St John and Lady Welles).

Born: John Beaufort b.1404; Margaret Beauchamp c. 1410

Died: John Beaufort Died: 3 May 1444, London. Margaret Beauchamp Died: before 3 June 1482.

Buried: Wimborne Minster, Dorset.

Read more and see images of the tomb here…

A Tudor Weekend Away in York
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A Tudor Weekend Away in York

In this guide, we travel to York, the capital city and crowning jewel of North Yorkshire. It is one of the ‘must visit’ destinations in the North of England, with its history stretching back to the Roman conquest It is among a select handful of English cities to have most of its medieval walls still intact, and within those walls, wonky medieval buildings and higgledy-piggledy streets abound.

Arundel Castle: Tudor Day Trips From London
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Arundel Castle: Tudor Day Trips From London

We visit Arundel Castle, a historic castle and stately home located in the town of Arundel in West Sussex, England. It is one of the country’s most iconic and well-preserved medieval castles, boasting a rich history that spans over a thousand years. Arundel Castle has been the ancestral seat of the Howard family, the Dukes of Norfolk, since the sixteenth century. Today, Arundel Castle is open to the public.