Tudor Places

Tudor Places An independent magazine exploring the sites, buildings and interiors of the Tudor world

“Built around 1500 by Sir Edward Chamberleyne, the small brick manor that is our home, is ‘one of those English homes wh...
14/01/2025

“Built around 1500 by Sir Edward Chamberleyne, the small brick manor that is our home, is ‘one of those English homes which has written on its front, and in its old-world surroundings, the unmistakable character of comfort and repose, and freedom from worries of the present competitive age’ as Norfolk architect Edward Preston Willis expressed in 1888/9.”

In Issue 15, Brigitte Webster, continues to share with us her experiences of living in and maintaining her Tudor manor house, Old Hall, in Norfolk. In this issue she discusses her research into the fascinating origin story of her 16th century home.

https://bit.ly/4it06wo

The English Reformation had a seismic impact on the religious and secular architecture of the period. In Issue 15, Dr Ja...
13/01/2025

The English Reformation had a seismic impact on the religious and secular architecture of the period. In Issue 15, Dr James Wright argues it also changed our stories and collective understanding of the medieval Catholic practices that preceded it. In this article he examines common beliefs about so-called l***r squints, Devil’s doors and arrow stones as examples of this impact.

https://bit.ly/4it06wo

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All images © Dr James Wright

 , 11 January 1584, Walter Mildmay was licensed by Elizabeth I to found a college on the site of a dissolved Dominican f...
11/01/2025

, 11 January 1584, Walter Mildmay was licensed by Elizabeth I to found a college on the site of a dissolved Dominican friary in Cambridge, which became Emmanuel College. Mildmay’s links with Cambridge began in 1538 when he was admitted to Christ’s College and, although like many at the time he left without taking a degree, he clearly developed a lasting affection for the college.

The site, which Mildmay bought for £550, was renovated by a mason and architect called Ralph Symonds and, judging by the commissions he later received from other colleges, he seems to have done an excellent job. Its dilapidated buildings came with a large open meadow and a fishpond, and were enclosed by a high boundary wall, part of which still survives today.

In Issue 06, Julian Humphrys explores his alma mater, Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Its distinctly Puritan character would be the cause of some controversy in late Elizabethan and early Stuart England.

https://bit.ly/3owRTjN

The first Exeter Cathedral, built during the Norman period on the site of an earlier Saxon Minster, was rebuilt in the t...
10/01/2025

The first Exeter Cathedral, built during the Norman period on the site of an earlier Saxon Minster, was rebuilt in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Although damaged during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it was spared some of the excesses of destruction experienced elsewhere. In Issue 15, Dr Emma J. Wells explores this wonderful example of Gothic architecture.

https://bit.ly/4it06wo

Owned variously by the wealthy and powerful Balliol, Beauchamp and Neville families during the medieval period, Barnard ...
09/01/2025

Owned variously by the wealthy and powerful Balliol, Beauchamp and Neville families during the medieval period, Barnard Castle held a valuable strategic position overlooking a crossing point of the River Tees. In Issue 15, Julian Humphrys delves into the history of this important County Durham castle and examines its role in two Tudor rebellions.

https://bit.ly/4it06wo


Esher Place’s proximity to Hampton Court Palace made it a convenient base for king and churchmen alike, to relax, to hun...
08/01/2025

Esher Place’s proximity to Hampton Court Palace made it a convenient base for king and churchmen alike, to relax, to hunt and to nurse their grief. In Issue 15, Dr Elizabeth Norton looks at another of Henry VIII’s lesser-known residences, a fragment of which, most surprisingly, is a private residence today.

https://bit.ly/4it06wo

 , 7 January 1536, Katherine of Aragon died at Kimbolton Castle in Cambridgeshire. Kimbolton was her final residence fol...
07/01/2025

, 7 January 1536, Katherine of Aragon died at Kimbolton Castle in Cambridgeshire. Kimbolton was her final residence following banishment from court in 1531. Katherine’s refusal to accept Henry VIII’s plans to annul their twenty-four year marriage also resulted in her being forbidden from seeing their daughter, Mary. In January 1533, Henry married Anne Boleyn in secret and that April, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, convened a court at Dunstable at which he declared Katherine's marriage to Henry VIII null and void.

During the summer of 1533, having not seen Henry in over two years, Katherine stayed for some months at Buckden Palace in Cambridgeshire. It is here that Katherine had her notable meeting with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, who had been sent to enforce the use of her new title of Princess Dowager (Katherine’s household still referred to her as Queen). Katherine left their meeting in the great chamber and retreated to the great tower where she locked herself away and refused to communicate further. Brandon reported this back to the king in writing and also said, in a less diplomatic letter to Thomas Cromwell, “we find this woman more obstinate than we can express”.

In 1534 the Acts of Supremacy and Succession made it a criminal offence to refer to Katherine as queen: she was demoted to her previous rank of Princess Dowager of Wales Katherine rejected the annulment and Henry's marriage to Anne. She continued to urge the Pope to confirm her marriage and refused to communicate with anyone who did not address her as Queen. In January 1536, when it became apparent that Katherine was dying, Henry permitted a last visit from Eustace Chapuys, the Emperor's ambassador, either as a gesture of compassion or to demonstrate to the Emperor that his aunt was not being ill-treated, but he still would not permit Mary to visit her mother.

In Issue 13, Julian Humphrys looks at Buckden Palace, the site of the remarkable act of defiance by Katherine of Aragon, and, subsequently, a tragedy for the Brandon family.

https://bit.ly/4eTXvdn

Get yourself organised for the year ahead with our 2025 calendar! 📅 Celebrate the changing seasons with a gorgeous red-b...
04/01/2025

Get yourself organised for the year ahead with our 2025 calendar! 📅

Celebrate the changing seasons with a gorgeous red-brick Tudor manor house or hall. Each month has a splendid Tudor property to admire, along with a brief description and a selection of key Tudor dates.

This calendar makes the perfect gift to yourself, a friend, or anyone who loves Tudor history and historical buildings.

The calendar is exclusive to Tudor Places and we have printed a limited number, so do order now to make sure you don't miss out!

Find out more and order here: https://bit.ly/4etJ528

Following an intensive programme of research and refurbishment at Hever Castle in Kent, the only surviving suite of room...
03/01/2025

Following an intensive programme of research and refurbishment at Hever Castle in Kent, the only surviving suite of rooms that the Boleyn family once occupied is now re-presented in a style and decoration that would be familiar to them. In Issue 15, Kate McCaffrey, one of Hever Castle’s curatorial team, explains the process of refurbishing and reinterpreting rooms where historical evidence underpinned every design decision.

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Great Chamber (after) © Olliver Dixon
All other images © Hever Castle and Gardens

 , 1 January 1511, Henry, Duke of Cornwall, the only son of Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII to survive childbirth, wa...
01/01/2025

, 1 January 1511, Henry, Duke of Cornwall, the only son of Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII to survive childbirth, was born at Richmond Palace. This was Katherine's second pregnancy and it is thought to have been healthy and uncomplicated. The queen was reported to be in good health, and she 'took her chamber' in good time. Katherine and Henry were elated with the birth of young Henry and the court celebrated enthusiastically.

The baby appeared strong enough for the christening to be held a few days later, on 5 January (sickly babies were usually baptised immediately). Sources differ on the child’s godparents. According to the Letters and Papers of Henry VIII, they were King Louis XII of France (represented by Richard Foxe,Bishop of Wi******er), William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor, and Margaret of Austria, Regent of the Netherlands and Katherine's sister- in-law (represented by the Countess of Surrey, either Anne of York, daughter of Edward IV and Henry VIII’s maternal aunt, or Agnes Tilney, wife of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk). The baby was named Henry and had the title of Duke of Cornwall from birth.

The proud father celebrated by putting on a magnificent joust. Dressed in Katherine's colours, with H & K engraved on his armour, Henry jousted under the name of Sir Loyal Heart. Unfortunately, celebrations were premature as this cherished baby, who was affectionately called ‘The New Year's Boy’, lived for only fifty-two days. He was given a state funeral and buried at the foot of the tomb of his grandparents (Henry VII and Elizabeth of York) in the Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey.

Richmond, where the young prince was born and died, was a favoured palace of his grandfather Henry VII, who also died there. Today, almost nothing remains of the red-brick palace, built for the first Tudor king as a suitably impressive family seat for the dynasty he founded. In Issue 03, Dr Elizabeth Norton investigates the history of this magnificent Tudor palace, including who lived, visited and died there, how it was used, and what can be seen of it today.

https://bit.ly/3OheivE

31/12/2024

As we say goodbye to 2024, we leave you with our most liked picture of the year 😊

A huge thank you to our incredible team of volunteers and, of course, to all our amazing visitors who made this year so special. Your support keeps our history alive, and we couldn’t do it without you.

Here’s to a fantastic 2025! We can’t wait to welcome you back when we reopen in February.

Happy New Year from all of us at Harvington Hall! 🍾

Although her fortunes fluctuated, at their peak Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, was one of the most powerful and w...
30/12/2024

Although her fortunes fluctuated, at their peak Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, was one of the most powerful and wealthy women in England, with extensive landholdings in the southeast of England and across the channel in Calais. In Issue 15, Dr Rachel Delman looks at Margaret’s principal residence of Warblington Castle on the south coast. A section of the gatehouse remains as a tantalising glimpse of this once splendid Tudor property.

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Warblington Castle (all images) © www.housepartnership.co.uk
Unknown woman, formerly known as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury from National Portrait Gallery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 , 27 December 1539, Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII, arrived in England. Anne was the daughter of John III, D...
27/12/2024

, 27 December 1539, Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII, arrived in England. Anne was the daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, who owed allegiance to Emperor Charles V. In the late 1530s, when François I and Charles V had formed a defensive alliance against Henry, Thomas Cromwell urged the merits of a bride from Cleves. Hans Holbein, Henry's court painter, was despatched to Cleves to paint her, then, Henry being pleased with the result, a marriage treaty was signed.

Anne left Cleves on 26 November 1539 and travelled on land to Calais, where she arrived on 11 December. She was forced to rest in Calais for two weeks before sailing to England due to a storm. Anne finally arrived at Deal Castle where she was met by Sir Thomas Cheyne and rested for just a few hours before heading to Dover Castle. While at Deal Castle she was visited by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and his young wife, Katherine Willoughby. The new castle at Deal was still under construction during her visit.

She had no time to rest there and moved on to Rochester by 31st December. Henry was so impatient to see his bride that he decided to make an unannounced visit in disguise. Anne must have been unfamiliar with this common custom or court game for first meeting and responded coldly to the “stranger” which offended the king.

This famously disastrous first meeting was the beginning of the end for Anne’s marriage to the king. He informed Cromwell that he was disappointed and it was immediately apparent that he found Anne physically unappealing. He asked if Cromwell could come up with a scheme to stop the marriage. However his advisors were unable to stop the wheels already in motion and the wedding went ahead at Greenwich Palace in January 1540.

Their marriage was soon annulled on the grounds that Henry had been unable to consummate their relationship. Anne remained in England until her death in 1557. However disappointed or humiliated she may have felt, Anne graciously accepted her situation and was rewarded generously with properties, rank and invitations to court.

Deal, in Kent, Anne’s first destination in England upon arriving in 1539, was one of Henry VIII’s network of coastal forts built in the 1530s in the response to threats of invasion from the combined forces of Spain, France and Pope Paul III. In Issue 01, Julian Humphrys explores the history of three of the forts, Sandown, Walmer and Deal, built as part of the defensive barrier on the Kent coast, and highlights what to look for on a visit today.

https://tudorplaces.com/collections/magazines/products/issue-1

*NEW* Taster Bundle!Our latest bundle of three magazines includes Issues 13, 14 and 15 (the current issue) and is availa...
27/12/2024

*NEW* Taster Bundle!

Our latest bundle of three magazines includes Issues 13, 14 and 15 (the current issue) and is available to buy now.

This NEW Taster Bundle is jam-packed with articles on palaces, castles, cathedrals, manor houses, churches, military forts and more!

Articles include:

The Boleyn Apartment: Researching and Re-presenting Anne's Home

A Tale of Two Prisoners: Carlisle Castle in the Tudor Age

Knole: Archbishop's Palace, Royal Residence, Noble House

A Countess and her Coastal Castle: Margaret Pole's residence at Warblington

'Just a Load of Tat'?!: Fixtures and Fittings in the Tudor Church

The Tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots: Her End was the Beginning

There are interviews with historian and author Nathen Amin and Leonie Seliger, Director of the Stained Glass Studio at Canterbury Cathedral, along with itineraries for tours and weekends away exploring Tudor places in Dorset, Rutland and London during the festive season.

Perfect for people who love history and the places where history happened.

https://tudorplaces.com/collections/magazines/products/taster-bundle-issues-13-15

OTD, 26 December 1526, Rose Locke was born in London. She was the daughter of Sir William Locke and his second wife, Kat...
26/12/2024

OTD, 26 December 1526, Rose Locke was born in London. She was the daughter of Sir William Locke and his second wife, Katherine. The third of eleven children, her family were some of the earliest Protestants in England, and staunch supporters of Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Rose's father, William Locke, was a gentleman usher of the chamber to Henry VIII and was appointed sheriff of London in 1548; he was knighted by Edward VI in 1549. According to Rose, her father had smuggled 'heretic' Protestant writings from abroad for Queen Anne Boleyn herself.

At age seventeen Rose married London merchant, and a favourite of Henry VIII and Edward VI, Anthony Hickman and had seven children. However, despite their popularity / royal connections, the staunchly Protestant family fell out of favour when Mary I came to the throne and the resulting resurgence of Catholicism in England. Due to this they spend many years in exile in Antwerp and only returned to England on the accession of Elizabeth I. Anthony died in 1573 and Rose remarried Simon Throckmorton of Brampton.

In her later life Rose moved to Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire with her son and his family. In 1610, at the age of eighty-four, she wrote an account of her early life, from 1534, when her father removed the papal bull, which had been posted in Dunkirk, against Henry VIII. Her recollections ended in 1558, with the death of Mary I and her family's return to England on the accession of Elizabeth I.

Rose died on 21 November 1613, a month short of her eighty-seventh birthday. She was buried in the Hickman Quire of the former Burgh chantry chapel in the parish church of All Saints in Gainsborough, just across the road from her home, Gainsborough Old Hall. Her portrait still holds pride of place in the Upper Great Chamber of the Tudor manor house.

Gainsborough Old Hall, the seat of the Burgh family, was visited by kings and queens, nobles and gentry folk. Today, it is a rare survival, late fifteenth- century building with Elizabethan modifications. The Hall’s connection to Queen Katherine Parr is well-known, but that to Rose Hickman is less so. In Issue 14, Sharon Bennett Connolly looks at this splendid manor house through the lives of these Tudor women.

https://bit.ly/4epUelt

Merry Christmas to our wonderful followers, readers, contributors and everyone in the Tudor Places community.However you...
25/12/2024

Merry Christmas to our wonderful followers, readers, contributors and everyone in the Tudor Places community.

However you’re spending the festive period, we hope you have a lovely, peaceful break with friends and family.

“Built around 1500 by Sir Edward Chamberleyne, the small brick manor that is our home, is ‘one of those English homes wh...
23/12/2024

“Built around 1500 by Sir Edward Chamberleyne, the small brick manor that is our home, is ‘one of those English homes which has written on its front, and in its old-world surroundings, the unmistakable character of comfort and repose, and freedom from worries of the present competitive age’ as Norfolk architect Edward Preston Willis expressed in 1888/9.”

In Issue 15, Brigitte Webster, continues to share with us her experiences of living in and maintaining her Tudor manor house, Old Hall, in Norfolk. In this issue she discusses her research into the fascinating origin story of her 16th century home.

https://bit.ly/4it06wo

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