Attractions

Details in Holbein Paintings

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Born in Augsburg c. 1497, Hans Holbein the Younger learned to paint from his father, Hans Holbein the Elder. Holbein traveled to England in 1526 in search of work, with a recommendation from Erasmus. He was welcomed into the humanist circle of Thomas More, where he quickly built a high reputation. After returning to Basel for four years, he resumed his career in England in 1532. This time he worked under the patronage of Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell. By 1535, he wa [More]

Lambeth Palace (Guest Post)

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  Guest post by: Patricia Deegan (February 1st 2017) This is currently the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the senior bishop of the Church of England and leader of the Anglican church. The archbishop of Canterbury has lived on this site since the thirteenth century due to it’s proximity to the palace of Westminster (which itself had been started in the eleventh century) and the access to the river Thames. Though there was no bridge fr [More]

Monasteries (Guest Post)

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By Patricia Deegan This is an article about the buildings and grounds of the monasteries rather than the religious people within them or their religious practises. Although a number of the original Christian communities in Britain (the Celtic Church) had had monasteries, the monks during that period lived almost like hermits in separate cells within the monastery grounds. However there gradually came a movement within western Europe that led to a more communal way of [More]

Athelhampton House: A Brief History

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Built at the beginning of the Tudor-era, the Great Hall of Athelhampton was built by Sir William Martyn in 1485 and is located in Dorset, England. Martyn had also obtained a license in 1495 to enclose 160 acres for a deer park on the property. This original manor had a Great hall, Solar and Buttery. A Solar was located on the upper level of the manor and was the living quarters for the owner and his family, while a Buttery was a service room located near the Great Hall [More]

Sir John Spencer: Althorp House

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Sir John Spencer: Althorp House Unless you were born in the mid-90's (or later) or have been under a rock for most of your life, you know who Diana was - former wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. When she married Charles many said that she was a commoner, but she was not, she was an aristocrat. If we look back at her family tree and her family estate of Althorp we'll find it goes all the way back to the Tudor period with her ancestor Sir John Spencer - the "sheep-keeper" [More]

Early Tudor Palaces and Country Houses

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  Early Tudor Palaces and Country Houses 1485-1550 Compton Wynyates "The delightful red-brick manor house of Compton Wynyates in Warwickshire, was begun by Edmund Compton in 1481, just prior to the accession of the House of Tudor. Edmund's sturdy but good-looking country home was given some elegant editions, including porch and some towers by his son, the prominent Tudor courtier, Sir William Compton, between 1493 and 1528." -The Illustrated Encyclopedia of [More]

Unwanted Foreign Gifts of the Royal Menagerie

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Were you aware that the Tower of London was home to many exotic animals? As early as King John, we hear of a collection of animals at the Tower of London as a form of entertainment for the king. The Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London is originally mentioned during the reign of Henry III. In 1235, King Henry III received a gift of three lions (or leopards-accounts differ) from the Holy Roman Emperor as a sign of good faith for his recent marriage to Henry's siste [More]

The Legacy of Henry VIII

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When you think of infamous English monarchs who is the first to come to mind? Henry VIII? King Henry VIII is popularly known for marrying six times and executing two of his wives, as well as his famous split from Rome. It might surprise you to learn that Henry VIII was considered one of the most prolific builders of the English monarchs. He also helped to increase the size of the English Navy with ships like: Henry Grace a Dieu, The Mary Rose, The Peter and man [More]

Compton Wynyates

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“The delightful red-brick manor house of Compton Wynyates in Warwickshire, was begun by Edmund Compton in 1481, just prior to the accession of the House of Tudor. Edmund’s sturdy but good-looking country home was given some elegant editions, including porch and some towers by his son, the prominent Tudor courtier, Sir William Compton, between 1493 and 1528.” –The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Royal Britain by Charles Phillips (p.348) King Henry VIII’s room at Co [More]

Leeds Castle

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Leeds Castle “Henry VIII took a great liking to Leeds Castle in Kent, and carried out lavish improvements, transforming it from castle to fortified palace. The King was often in Kent, where he was entertained at Penhurst Place and visited Anne Boleyn at Hever Castle. Leeds Castle had well-established royal links, and had been favoured by kings and queens since Edward l honeymooned there in 1299.” –The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Royal Britain by Charles Phill [More]

Hever Castle

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Hever Castle “The moated and fortified manor house of Hever Castle, near Edenbridge in Kent, was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, mother of Elizabeth I. Henry VIII was a frequent visitor in the 1520’s when he paid court to Anne.”- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Royal Britain by Charles Phillips (p.352) After the death of Anne’s father Hever Castle was taken over by the Crown. Henry VIII gave it to Anne of Cleves after their divorce in 1540. When Anne of C [More]

History of Elizabeth l: 1533-1549

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"The birth of Elizabeth on 7 September 1533 was a bitter disappointment to Henry Vlll and Anne Boleyn, who had desperately wanted a son. Nonetheless, until she was two and a half years old the baby enjoyed the title of'princes' and lived in her own household, where she had precedence over her half-sister Mary. In 1536, however, Elizabeth's bastardization and demotion followed Anne's execution. The next year, Elizabeth joined the household of her newborn half-brother Edward, [More]

Great Houses – The Age of Gloriana

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The reign of Elizabeth I (the last Tudor monarch) is often associated with a golden age in English history - The age of Gloriana. Burghley House "Sir William Cecil built his extravagant 'prodigy house' on the Burghley estate, which his father, Richard Cecil, had purchased after it had been seized from Peterborough Abbey on the Dissolution of Monasteries under Henry Vlll. Construction too 32 years, from 1555 to 1587. During this period, Cecil proved an [More]

Mary, Queen of Scots (Guest Article)

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Mary, Queen of Scots   by Susan Abernethy The Freelance History Writer Many know the story of Mary, Queen of Scots. While telling the story of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland I was struck by the similarities between her and her granddaughter, Mary. They both had three husbands and had a child named James who became King of Scotland when they were just babies. Both women allowed their private lives to influence their public life contributing to a loss of politica [More]

Hever Castle – Anne Boleyn’s Childhood Home

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Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, is at the top of my list to visit while in England.  Watch this amazing aerial video of the castle and the gardens.  Breathtaking.  I've also included a link to view a few pictures from inside the castle.  I can just imagine Anne walking through the halls and the gardens of Hever Castle. Pictures from INSIDE Hever Castle