The exterior of Chepstow Castle, Monmouthshire, Wales.
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The 1502 Progress: Chepstow Castle, Monmouthshire

After travelling for around four weeks, and lodging for a week at Raglan Castle, Elizabeth of York and Henry VII began their homebound journey.

Bordering Wales and England, Chepstow Castle sits atop of the cliffs overlooking the River Wye in Monmouthshire’s Wye Valley. it was the next stop on the 1502 progress.

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View of the gatehouse range from the keep, Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire, Wales.
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The 1502 Progress: Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire

Raglan Castle: Arrival and Family Ties

When Elizabeth and Henry left Troy after five days of hospitality, they had only a short seven-mile journey in a south-westerley direction to reach their next destination, Raglan Castle (or ‘Ragland’ as it was known until at least the early nineteenth century). 

An 1801 account of the road from Monmouth to Raglan describes the scenery the royal couple would have encountered as they began their journey, ‘On leaving Monmouth the road leads for near two miles thro’ a pleasant enclosed valley, skirted by gentle swellings, clothed or cultivated to their summits but gaining the higher ground at Wonastow. The view unfolds itself in a beautiful and extensive manner, over a rich and fertile country…’

The royal party arrived at Raglan Castle on or around 19 August. Their stay there was the apex and, in many ways, the centrepiece of the visit with its incumbent lord, the King’s loyal and erstwhile brother-in-arms, Sir Walter Herbert, playing host…

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Leeds Castle, Kent
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Leeds Castle, Kent

Leeds Castle sits across two islands in the middle of the River Len in Kent. During the sixteenth century, Henry VIII lavished money on refurbishing apartments in the Gloriette (the castle’s keep and the location of its most privy apartments) for his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Katherine certainly stayed at Leeds Castle, as did Katherine Parr. Today, the castle offers a range of luxury accommodation.

Tudor Day Trips From London: Cambridge
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Tudor Day Trips From London: Cambridge

Venturing out of the city of London, we travel to Cambridge. The city flourished as a centre of learning through the medieval and Tudor periods (when most of the colleges were founded or completed), some of them by behemoths of the Tudor age, including Henry VII, Margaret Beaufort and Henry VIII. We discover the places associated with Tudor royal visits, and summarise where to go and what to look out for when visiting the city today.