This blog was originally posted 30 November 2018 on The Thomas Seymour Society Blog:
My effort to uncover the true Thomas Seymour has led me to Sudeley Castle once again. While reading The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor, by Elizabeth Norton, I discovered that the Queen’s Presence Chamber had windows that ran floor to ceiling and made you feel like you were outside in the Queen’s Garden when you stood in the bay window.
That got me thinking – could I locate through images and videos the section of Sudeley Castle that contained the Queen’s Presence Chamber?
In this below screen cap from a video you can clearly see large windows (white arrow) that appear to go from floor to ceiling, but it was not confirmed to me until I noticed the fireplace (green arrow) – the fireplace would obviously be at floor level and so, that to me, indicates that the ruins are indeed part of what Thomas Seymour had built for his queen.
In addition, the Queen’s Garden (pink arrow) are just on the other side of the windows but is now obstructed by a tree, or trees. This could most definitely be the Presence Chamber with dowager queen Kateryn Parr would have accepted visitors to her court as Sudeley was considered a second court. It is uncertain whether or not the chamber was ever used by the dowager queen.
Now it stands in ruins at Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, most likely destroyed during the Civil War. We can only imagine the magnificence that would have appeared before visitors who entered.
This theory has been confirmed by Dr. Sarah Morris of The Tudor Travel Guide.
Wow, that’s amazing detective work. Too bad it’s in ruins.
Thanks! It makes me sad that it is in ruins but grateful there is something still standing. I will gladly use my imagination. 😉