The Mirror of Great Britain: A Dazzling Symbol of Unity
Some weeks ago, I penned a blog about a celebrated jewel of Renaissance Europe: The Three Brothers, once owned and much loved by Elizabeth I of England. So, much so that she is seen wearing it close to her breast on her tomb effigy in Westminster Abbey. During the writing of that blog, I was …
Tudor Art Exhibition: ‘Love’s Labour’s Found’ at the Philip Mould Gallery
In this month’s episode, Sarah talks to Lawrence Hendra, Director of Research from The Philip Mould Gallery. Follow Sarah’s on-site visit, as she interviews Lawrence about some of the striking Elizabethan and Jacobean portraiture included in the Love’s Labour’s Found Tudor art exhibition, which opens to the public on 21 April 2021. According to the Philip …
Tudor Tansy Cake: An Easter Tradition
With Easter just around the corner, our chef at The Tudor Travel Guide, Brigitte Webster, introduces us to Tudor Tansy Cake: An Easter Tradition. A familiar dish to the Tudors, but almost forgotten in current times, tans(e)y cake is an egg-based dish similar to an omelette. After the harsh forty days of Lent without any meat, …
Tudor Places to Visit Outside of London: Travel Essentials
Welcome back to the Tudor History & Travel Show: Travel Essentials, Episode Three! If you’re looking for inspiration or tips for your next Tudor trip, you’re in the right place. Here in Travel Essentials, we discuss all you need to know before planning a trip – venues to visit, what to expect to pay, upcoming …
Leez Priory & The Most Notorious Villain in Tudor History
When one of the most commonly cited life achievements of a man is the illegal torture of a defenceless, young woman, you know that you must have met one of the most wretchedly cruel villains of Tudor history. However, this man was no shady character of the streets; not a heinous criminal bent on breaking …
A Traditional Tudor Fish Recipe for Lent
As we approach our third week of Lent, let’s look more closely at how Lent was observed in Tudor times. This month, Brigitte Webster, our resident chef at The Tudor Travel Guide, shows us a traditional Tudor fish recipe. As Collop Monday and Shrove Tuesday marked the end of Carnival (from Latin Carne vale, which …
What Things Cost in the UK: Travel Essentials
Welcome back to the Tudor History & Travel Show: Travel Essentials, Episode Two! This section of The Tudor Travel Guide is designed for Tudorphiles who love to pack their bags, hit the road and connect to the past by standing in the places where Tudor history was made! Once again, we welcome back Philippa Brewell from …
Chesworth House & The Scandalous Undoing of Katherine Howard
When Katherine Howard stepped upon the scaffold at The Tower of London to make her final speech of contrition, all the shocking details of the young queen’s earlier, scandalous life had been laid bare for all to see. Much of the evidence that came to light in her indictment was given in evidence by friends …
Mary Queen of Scots: A Glittering Future at the French Court
All I can tell you is that I account myself one of the happiest women in the world. These words were written by the fifteen-year-old Mary Queen of Scots on the morning of her wedding to the Dauphin of France in 1558. It is almost impossible to believe that these sentiments are associated with the …
The Memorialisation of Mary Queen of Scots: The Making of an Icon
This blog is adapted from an interview, recorded for my podcast, The Tudor History & Travel Show. Our historian is Dr Steven Reid, Senior Lecturer in Scottish History at the University of Glasgow. He specialises in the intellectual, political and religious history of Scotland between c.1450 and c.1650, with a strong interest in Mary Queen of Scots …
Tudor Parsnip Cakes: A Sweet Seasonal Treat
This month, The Great Tudor Bake Off focuses on a seasonal ingredient: parsnips. Harvested in January, parsnips are a nutritious root vegetable, rich in minerals, vitamins and fibre. Our chef at The Tudor Travel Guide, Brigitte Webster, shows us how to make Tudor Parsnip Cakes. They’re the perfect boost for your immune system. So, why not …
‘The Three Brothers’: The Most Coveted Jewel in Renaissance Europe
Recently, I had a ‘stop-me-dead-in-my-tracks’ moment. A delicious fluttering of excitement crept over me, the kind I get when I know I have ‘discovered’ something to do with Tudor history that I had known nothing of beforehand. I love these very personal discoveries; they make me look again; they often help me consider things from …
When to Travel to the UK on Vacation: Travel Essentials
Welcome to the Tudor History & Travel Show: Travel Essentials! This is a new addition to The Tudor History & Travel Show for 2021. it is specifically for all you Tudor time-travellers out there who want inspiration for your Tudor road-trip. We will be answering your most pressing travel-related questions and provide top tips for …
Middleham Castle: Daunting Fortress, Luxurious Home and One Priceless Jewel!
Middleham Castle sits in the wide-open, rugged and beautiful landscape of North Yorkshire, about 230 miles north of London and 45 miles northwest of York. It was recounted by Tudor antiquary, John Leyland, as ‘a pretty market town, and standith on a rocky hill, on the top whereof is the castle meately welle dyked with …
Kimbolton Castle: The Final Days and Death of Katherine of Aragon
On 7 January 1536, a beleaguered Katherine of Aragon died at Kimbolton Castle in Cambridgeshire. She had spent the final years of her eventful life in exile, abandoned by her husband, Henry VIII, on account of the king’s quest for a legitimate son and heir. Katherine’s is a sorry tale and her end at Kimbolton …
Rievaulx Abbey & the Brutal Dissolution of the Monasteries
This blog is adapted from an ‘on-location’ interview for my podcast, The Tudor History & Travel Show, recorded at Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire. Our guide is Michael Carter, a senior properties curator at English Heritage. He specialises in English Monasticism and the Cistercian order. Read through to the end to find out Michael’s top …
Venison Pie: A Christmas Tudor Treat
Christmas is fast approaching and after the end of a difficult year for most of us, some feasting and merriment will be most welcome. Well, in this month’s Great Tudor Bake Off, Brigitte Webster, our Tudor chef, here at The Tudor Travel Guide, treats us to a savoury Tudor dish for the dinner table: Tudor …
Tudor ‘Houses of Power’ with Prof Simon Thurley
In this month’s episode of The Tudor Travel Show: Extra! Sarah is in conversation with Professor Simon Thurley, a pre-eminent architectural historian, specialising in Britain’s built environment. Sarah talks to Simon about the Boleyn properties of the early sixteenth century when the family was at the height of its power. She also explores with Simon the …
Hampton Court: The Emergence of a Tudor Palace
The 30 November (2020) sees the 490th anniversary of the sad demise and death of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey at Leicester Abbey. This followed his arrest for treason at Cawood Castle in North Yorkshire earlier that month. To commemorate this event, The Tudor Travel Guide team are holding a virtual summit over the weekend of the …
Luscious Tudor Pears In Conserve
Many of you will have been as sad as I was to learn that, here in the UK, we have just lost one of our most ancient pear trees to a new railway project. In honour of this tree, and as pears are currently seasonal and easy to obtain, I have chosen the pear as …