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 countryside south of Ripon, medieval Markenfield has remained largely untouched and is one of a few moated, medieval manor houses that its original owners could still recognise; indeed, the Hall is instantly recognisable thanks to … Read more
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 want to weep at the mere thought of what has been lost. The focus of this blog tells such a story. On the fatal night of 24 September 1793, a fire broke out in one … Read more
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 Wars of the Roses. Lambert Simnel, an imposter pretending to be Edward, Earl of Warwick, was used as a figurehead for the Yorkist rebel cause as they tried to re-establish their hold on the crown. … Read more
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 claim annulment of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, Henry sought to abandon Rome and the Catholic opposition to his divorce. The break with Rome triggered England’s transition to being a Protestant country, which brought … Read more
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, in its time it was once a palace and later became a cherished residence of one of the most powerful figures in Tudor history – and a time that would change the very fabric of … Read more
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 Forgotten Tudor Women: Gertrude Courtenay: Wife and Mother of the last Plantagenets. A writer and researcher specialising in Tudor history, Sylvia’s work goes behind the scenes, to share the lives of lesser-known people from the … Read more
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 palace in England. Standing next to a solitary plinth, which is all the remains to mark the spot where this historic palace once stood, I felt a deep sadness. This was not only for its … Read more
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 the magnificent gowns worn by queens and courtiers to the garments worn by women of the mercantile classes. The fashions of the Tudor dynasty communicated status, power and femininity; dress was a form of political … Read more
The Mary Rose: Splendour, Sinking and Salvage
Welcome back to The Tudor History & Travel Show. In this episode, I visit the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth for a guided tour, led by two experts: Dr. Alexzandra Hildred and John Seager. Alex is Head of Research and Curator of Ordnance and Human Remains at the Mary Rose Trust. She joined the project in … Read more
‘Palaces of Revolution’: Life, Death and Art at the Stuart Court.
This post contains some affiliate links Confession time: I am not a fan of the Stuart monarchy. In fact, if you press me, then privily I will admit that although my interest in English history stretches way back to our Anglo-Saxon forefathers, it stops around 24 March 1603 with the death of Elizabeth I, the … Read more
Travel Essentials: Winter & The Christmas Season In The UK
Welcome back to the Tudor History & Travel Show: Travel Essentials! The final episode in the 2021 series of Travel Essentials, today’s episode will get you in the festive spirit. As your one-stop shop for all things Tudor Travel, we make sure you have all of the information you need to make the most of your … Read more
Travel Essentials: Glorious Gloucestershire!
Welcome back to the Tudor History & Travel Show: Travel Essentials! Travel Essentials provides inspiration for planning your next Tudor trip. For those of you who like to touch your Tudor history, we share all the information you need to get out on the road to see and experience Tudor places. Our top tips help … Read more
Knole House Revisited & The Tudors in Love: Featuring Julie Milner and Sarah Gristwood
There are affiliate links in this blog In this month’s episode of The Tudor Travel Show, I talk to the author, Sarah Gristwood, about her new book The Tudors in Love: The Courtly Code Behind the Last Medieval Dynasty. I also meet with Julie Milner, tour and house guide at Knole House in Kent. Together, … Read more
Sutton House & Tudor Hackney: Ralph Sadler’s Nouveau-Riche ‘Bryk Place’
This post contains affiliate links. In this month’s blog, I am going to introduce you to a Tudor house that is utterly unique. You will simply not find another like it anywhere: Sutton House in Hackney. It was created by a Tudor courtier on the rise; not yet wealthy enough to build a grand country … Read more
The Very Best Of Typically English Things To Do When Visiting the UK: Travel Essentials
Cover Image: Seckford Hall, courtesy of Seckford Hall Hotel and Spa, Suffolk. Welcome back to the Tudor History & Travel Show: Travel Essentials! Here in Travel Essentials, we cover those all important things to consider when you’re planning your next Tudor trip. For those of you who like to touch Tudor history in person, Travel Essentials … Read more
Otford Palace: Rivalry, Glory and Ruin in the Tudor Age
Otford Palace, in Kent, was once acknowledged as being the most magnificent house in England. The man who was singularly responsible for its aggrandisement, William Warham, then Archbishop of Canterbury, was locked in rivalry with the Thomas Wolsey. At the time, Wolsey was in the ascendant, fast becoming the second most powerful man in the … Read more
Tudor Stepney & Thomas Cromwell’s ‘Great Place’
Cover Image: Worcester House with Tudor Stepney in the background. Image courtesy of MOLA Anyone who knows me will be aware that Anne Boleyn is my historical heroine, but lately, I admit to having developed a growing fascination for her nemesis: Thomas Cromwell, his protégés, such as Sir Richard Rich and Sir Ralph Sadler, as … Read more
Your Guide To Getting Around the UK: Travel Essentials
Cover Image: Ravens at the Tower by Bob Collowan/Commons/CC-BY-SA-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Welcome back to the Tudor History & Travel Show: Travel Essentials! Travel Essentials is your go-to guide for your next Tudor trip. From the best places to visit, what to bring with you, or where to stop for a bite to eat, we share our … Read more
Temple Newsam: A Scottish Enclave in the North
On 7 December 1545, a son was born to Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox and Matthew Stuart, 4th Earl of Lennox at Temple Newsam in Yorkshire. This boy would grow up to be king consort of Scotland, his future wife being Mary, Queen of Scots. Having lived an eventful life at the English court as … Read more
‘Gold and Glory’ at Hampton Court Palace
The Field of Cloth of Gold was one of the most spectacular events of its age. Feted for the ostentatious display of power and wealth on both sides, its principal architect, Cardinal Wolsey, provided a glittering stage upon which two young, alpha males of Europe, Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England, might … Read more