Follow in the Footsteps of Tudor Royalty!
Discover inspiration for your next Tudor road trip based on our collection of places associated with notable Tudors.
Follow in the Footsteps of…
Follow Henry VII in this first progress of the new Tudor dynasty. As the dust settles from the brutal shift of power from York to Lancaster, England’s new king sets out to stamp his authority on the unruly North.
We follow Henry on the outward leg of the progress from St John’s Priory in London to the capital of the North: York.
In the last summer of Elizabeth’s life, this first and much-loved Tudor queen set out on progress with her husband, Henry VII. We follow the royal couple’s unusual progress to the south-west, from Woodstock in Oxfordshire to Raglan Castle in Monmouthshire and back again. Along the way, we explore the reasons behind this unique journey, which reads less like a progress and more like a trip down memory lane!
The 1535 progress is sometimes called ‘The Reformation Progress’ with Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn seeking to honour courtiers loyal to the King and his chosen wife. It also saw the consecration of three Reformist bishops and the beginning of Cromwell’s ‘visitations’ of the smaller monasteries. Prepare for an epic 3-month journey through Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Hampshire.
Thomas Cromwell is the Tudor character we hate and admire in equal measure. He was the architect of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and famously the principal protagonist in the downfall of the Boleyn faction. He was also a master statesman and shrewd operator. During his rise at the Henrician court, he garnered titles, status, and wealth and, as a result, came to own an impressive property portfolio. The most important of these are detailed in this section.
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In the summer of 1575, Elizabeth participated in one of the most celebrated events of her reign. She spent around three weeks as the guest of her childhood friend, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, at his Warwickshire home of Kenilworth Castle.
We follow the progress and unpick the events surrounding Dudley’s last-ditch attempt to win Elizabeth’s hand in marriage in this most well-known of all Queen Elizabeth’s extensive progresses.
Mary, Queen of Scots: Crowned at six days old, she held the promise of a glorious reign over Scotland and France. But tragedy marked her life: her first husband’s early death, her tumultuous rule in Scotland marred by conflict with unruly Protestant lords, and her eventual forced abdication. Fleeing to England, she became Elizabeth I’s prisoner for 20 years, until her execution in February 1587. Click to explore the key locations of her remarkable journey.
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Chirk Castle: Exploring Seven Centuries of History
This show notes page accompanies my on-location visit to Chirk Castle in north-east Wales, one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the country. Built for Edward I between 1295 and 1310, Chirk was originally constructed as a formidable fortress to help secure English rule in Wales.
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Armchair Traveller · Berkeley Castle · Elizabeth of York · Gloucestershire · Henry VII · PEOPLE · Places by County · Road-Trip Traveller
Copy of The 1502 Progress: Coates / Cotes, Gloucestershire
Just as with Beverston, the mention of Cotes as a location on the 1502 progress is fleeting.
Coates is a parish about three miles west of Cirencester in Gloucestershire. During the medieval and Tudor periods, Cirencester was a thriving wool town. Henry had visited Cirencester before, on at least one occasion. The choice of Cotes Place as a lodging for the royal party may have meant that the King could rekindle acquaintances with the wool merchants of the nearby town.
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Tudor Gloucester: Gateway to the West and Crossroads of Kings
Gloucester is a city steeped in history. Nestled 19 miles from the Welsh border and straddling the Roman Ermin Street, it has variously been known as ‘The Gateway to the West’ or ‘The Crossroads of Kings’. I invite you to journey through Gloucester’s medieval and Tudor past—to wander the cloisters, linger at forgotten priory walls, and trace the echoes of a city that once stood shoulder to shoulder with England’s greatest.
