Things to see and do at ...Tewkesbury Medieval Festival

I've just come back from attending Tewkesbury Medieval Festival and it seems to get increasingly better with each passing year (if that's even possible). So what is the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival? What happens at the festival itself, and Is it really worth visiting?

Tewkesbury Medieval Festival as its name suggests is a festival, which commemorates the battle of Tewkesbury, that was fought in an area of the town of Tewkesbury, England back in 1471 between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians. The battle itself formed one part of a series of battles now known to many as the Wars of the Roses. Whilst not the bloodiest battle within the Wars of the Roses series, it dealt a devastating blow to the Lancastrian cause, with the death of Prince Edward, son of King Henry VI and his wife Margaret of Anjou being a major blow. 

The Tewkesbury Medieval Festival recreates the battle on a much smaller scale that it would have been. It also provides much more such as shopping, fair ground rides etc. It has something for all the family.

Below are my top five reasons why visiting Tewkesbury Medieval Festival should be on your Tudor Bucket List:

1) The Battle 

This is quite simply the highlight of the festival and should not be ignored. Hundreds of costumed reenactors (from all over the world might I add) go head to head in a battle recreation, which saw the mighty Yorkists, lead by King Edward IV and his brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester (aka. king Richard III) reign supreme over their poorly organised counterparts the Lancastrians, who were lead by Queen Margaret of Anjou and her son, Prince Edward. There are showers of arrows, men (and women) firing replica guns, men on horseback, and canon fire so loud that the ground shakes...

Edward IV (left) and Prince Edward, Son of Margaret of Anjou and Henry VI (right) Go Head to Head

2) Professor Ronald Hutton and Historian Ruth Goodman

As Patrons of the festival you might see both of these historians walking around the festival site. Professor Ronald Hutton even commentates on the battle recreation! If you don't know who they are where have you been? Ronald Hutton is an English Historian who specialises in the study of Early Modern Britian, British Folklore, Pre-Christian Religion and contemporary Paganism, and is a professor at the University of Bristol. You might recognise him from his appearance on the television series 'Victorian Farm', in which he sometimes stars alongside historian Ruth Goodman. Ruth specialises in the Early Modern period from a social perspective and offers advice to museums and heritage attractions. She also presents the television series 'Victorian Farm, Victorian Pharmacy, Edwardian Farm, Tudor Monastery Farm, and Wartime Farm', and has written history books, her most well known being 'How to be a Tudor'. They are both well worth talking too!

Professor Ronald Hutton and Me

3) The Battle Procession

As the name suggests this is a procession, but it's not just reenactors walking to the battle site through the town. This also involves musicians, dancers, entertainers, and people from local businesses and schools. They all dress in various costume and walk (or dance) with home made banners and models through the quaint Tudor-esque high street of Tewkesbury, passing by the spectacular Abbey as they go, all the way to the site of the festival. Visitors line the streets to get a glimpse of the king or queen on horseback. This is a must!

The Procession Following a York Banner man

4) Living History Camp

In point 2, I mentioned that the historians Ronald Hutton and Ruth Goodman were well worth talking too if you got the chance, but the men, women and children in the 'Living History Camp' are equally worth talking to and perhaps even more so. They choose to spend their weekends living in replica canvas tents from the Medieval period, cooking on open fires, and drinking ale, when not pulverising their enemies on the battlefield (it sounds quite heavenly actually now I think about it). Ask them about their clothing, their weapons, or what instruments they play and they will be more than happy to show you, and perhaps even treat you to a solo performance of 'The Horses Brawl'...

Some of the More Detailed Tents

5) Guided Battlefield Walks

It's one thing seeing the battle recreated. I mean it fires your imagination and all, but it doesn't compare to actually visiting the site where it happened all those years ago back in 1471. Where men quite literally hacked each other to pieces for the sake of the presiding monarch. These guided battlefield walks are run regularly throughout the festival, and the guides themselves are so knowledgeable that it's couldn't not be mentioned as one of the top 5 reasons to visit the festival. It's not a strenuous walk, but good walking shoes are recommended!

So what are you waiting for? Add the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival to your Tudor Bucket List now! 

Have you been to this festival or do you now want to go next year? Comment below.

The Boleyn Cup

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII. They married in secret on the 25th January 1533 at Whitehall Palace, after what had seemed a long and passionate (and somewhat drawn out) love affair. According to Edward Hall, the chronicler they had already married in secret previously on the 14th November 1532.

Anne Boleyn, Unknown Artist, NPG, 1533-1536

It is clear that Henry was besotted by her and this can be seen in some of the 17 surviving love letters that he sent to Anne. It is clear to see just how infatuated Henry was from the below letter written in his own hand (we know Henry was not a great fan of writing, and found it tedious) to her on the 21st July 1528:

"The approach of the time which has been delayed so long delights me so much that it seems almost already come. Nevertheless, the entire accomplishment cannot be till the two persons meet; which meeting is more desired on my part than anything in the world, for what joy can be so great as to have the company of her who is my most dear friend, knowing likewise that she does the same. Judge then what will that personage do whose absence has given me the greatest pain in my heart, which neither tongue nor writing can express, and nothing but that can remedy. Tell your father on my part that I beg him to abridge by two days the time appointed that he may be in court before the old term, or at least upon the day prefixed; otherwise I shall think he will not do the lover's turn as he said he would, nor answer my expectation. No more, for want of time. I hope soon to tell you by mouth the rest of the pains I have suffered in your absence. Written by the hand of the secretary, who hopes to be privately with you, &c."

We do not know if Anne was in love with Henry during their initial courtship or whether she was pushed forwards by her family for their advancement as some people have proposed etc. We do know that she managed to prolong his infatuation with her by stating that she would not become his mistress, only his wife and queen. It is believed that Anne took this approach as she had seen her sister Mary Boleyn become a mistress to both King Francis I of France and Henry VIII himself, with them both later discarding her. Also her upbringing in the Burgundian and French Courts under Margaret of Austria and Queen Claude of France provided her with a first hand account of how one's life could be destroyed by becoming a royal mistress.

Mary Boleyn

We know that the couple were fond of giving each other presents (especially on Henry's part). Even when they were married the King still gave Anne gifts, and vice versa. These gifts could be full of symbolism or contain heraldic arms or crests.

We know that a silver and gilt cup was made for Anne Boleyn in 1535 (a year before her execution on the 19th May 1536 at the Tower of London) with her crest on, what we do not is know who gave it to her (if anyone did), or if Henry had it made for her as a gift etc. I however personally believe it was a gift/love-token from Henry.

We do know that the cup survived Anne's legacy (nearly all traces of her existence were erased) and was passed onto her daughter the young princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I, queen of England), who in turn later gave it to her physician Richard Master when she was queen. It has always seemed somewhat alien to me that she would have done that, given the fact she kept the Chequers ring that experts think contains her mothers portrait - perhaps it was because she couldn't conceal this connection, and thought it best not to promote it? Who knows. Richard Master, then gave it to St John the Baptist's Parish Church in Cirencester, Gloucestershire where it has resided ever since.

A wall safe (with seven different locks) was provided for the cup (known as the Boleyn cup, because of it's connection with Anne Boleyn, and the fact it displays her crest) in 1968 where it was then put on permanent display to the public. It is said that when our current queen Elizabeth II visited the parish church, she exclaimed that she had the other cup at Windsor Castle. It seems Henry VIII had one made for himself too.

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image 

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image 

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image

I am fortunate that the Boleyn cup resides in my local parish church, and that I can visit it whenever I like. I implore you to visit the church and the see the cup for yourself if you can. It is so beautiful, and intricate. If you are not able to do so, please enjoy the pictures.

Source

• https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/anne-boleyn-treasures-uncovered/ [accessed 20th September 2017]
• https://kateshrewsday.com/2013/02/06/the-other-boleyn-cup/ [accessed 20th September 2017]
• https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/25-january-1533-henry-viii-marries-anne-boleyn-whitehall/ [accessed 20th September 2017]
• http://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol4/pp1980-1987 [accessed 20th September 2017]
• Cirencester Parish Church Information Poster [accessed 20th September 2017]
• http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00142/Anne-Boleyn [accessed 20th September 2017]

Ultimate Tudor Dream Guest Blog: Lissa Bryan

I am super excited to introduce you all to my first guest writer on 'The Tudor Bucket List', author, blogger and fellow Tudor enthusiast Lissa Bryan. 

Lissa Bryan (Owned by Lissa)

She has written about Anne Boleyn previously in her blog (http://www.lissabryan.com), has published nine books altogether, they are: 'Ghostwriter', 'Dominion', 'Tales from the end', 'Under these restless skies', 'The golden arrow and the butterfly', 'The end of all things (1-3)', 'The land of the shadow', 'Shadows have gone' and 'The end of all things', (which can be purchased using the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Lissa-Bryan/e/B009N6CFTQ), and she is a regular contributor on The Tudor Society. Lissa Bryan will be sharing with us all what her ultimate tudor dream would be. So without further ado, over to Lissa...

The crypt below the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London is on my “bucket list.” I was at the Tower in 1999 and paid my respects to Anne at her marble marker, but I wasn’t aware at the time there was a “secret” crypt tourists rarely visit.

The door leading to it is off to the side of the chapel.

Photo of door to crypt: https://maryvictrix.com/2011/03/07/saints-martyrs-and-more/tomb-st-thomas/

The Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula is one that’s on the “bucket list” of many Anne Boleyn fans. It’s where she was laid to rest after her execution in 1536. Today, around the altar at the end of the tiny chapel is an elaborate marble pavement featuring the names of many who were laid to rest beneath its floor. Anne Boleyn may have been buried there, but she’s not there today.

By the Victorian era, the chapel had fallen into disrepair, and the floor was sinking so badly that some feared the chapel might actually collapse. Queen Victoria gave the order for the chapel to be repaired, including laying a new foundation. Knowing that this would disturb the graves of those who were buried there, she ordered that an attempt be made to identify the remains and that they be treated with the greatest respect.

How the chapel looked before restoration:  http://onthetudortrail.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/anne-boleyn-resting-gallery-300x200.jpg

This proved to be a greater undertaking than the restorers expected. Once they’d pried up the floor and began to dig, they discovered upwards of fifteen hundred burials within the small chapel. Over the years, the residents of the Tower and the surrounding neighbourhood had come to regard the chapel as a parish church, and so multitudes had been buried within its walls. When a new burial occurred, the bones of the grave’s previous occupant were shoved to the side, their coffins broken up, and the newly deceased person buried in that spot. The restorers feared that the graves had been “universally and repeatedly desecrated.”

When they reached the altar area, where many of the famous figures buried during the bloody reign of Henry VIII had been interred, they found a similar situation. In the spot where Anne Boleyn was supposed to rest, they discovered the lead casket of a woman who’d died in 1750. Nearby, a pile of bones lay, representing a partial skeleton of a woman between 25 and 30 years of age, matching Anne’s age if you agree with the 1507 birthdate. (Historian Allison Weir, who claims Anne was 35 when she died, believes they were the bones of Jane Parker, Anne’s sister-in-law.) 

A photo of the restoration work:  http://viewfinder.historicengland.org.uk/search/reference.aspx?uid=80863&index=144&mainQuery=Stepney&searchType=all&form=home

Other graves were discovered, including a tall female of advanced age — Countess Margaret Pole — and the bones the restorers identified as Jane Parker. Katheryn Howard was not located, but the restorers thought that the large quantities of lime in her grave explained why her bones hadn’t survived. Nor was George Boleyn, whose grave appears to have been moved, possibly to an area the restorers hadn’t excavated.

Outside the chapel, others had been buried. Four of the men executed with Anne Boleyn had been placed in two graves. Henry Norris shared his grave with Francis Weston, and Mark Smeaton shared his with William Brereton. Those bones were disinterred when the Waterloo Block was constructed after a fire in 1841. It wasn’t possible to individually identify those burials.

The bones were carefully placed in oak boxes that had name plates affixed to the top when the identity was known. The chapel restoration report says that they were re-buried in their approximate locations, but they were actually placed in a “secret” location to deter ghoulish souvenir hunters. That “secret” place was the crypt.

It was constructed after the 1841 fire when the new Waterloo Block was being built. It’s actually part of the old ordinance storage. Interior photos show it to be a vaulted brick room, Gothic in style, with whitewashed walls, and a stone floor.

This photo of the crypt was taken by the Ravenmaster at the Tower.

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13254618_1725853074298292_3720656999056903684_n.jpg?oh=666878880c4fc5052a9e6c0abab48729&oe=5A1B3713

 Lead plaques on the wall identify the people interred within each niche.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crypt of St Peter ad Vincula. <a href="http://t.co/hHO9MG7LyE">pic.twitter.com/hHO9MG7LyE</a></p>&mdash; Caroline Webb (@CaroLetters) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaroLetters/status/566524144050003969">February 14, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A cenotaph tomb dedicated to Thomas More is also located there.

http://frcoulter.com/pics/london/tower/IM003258.jpg

A plaque installed after the chapel’s restoration notes that the remains were placed here.

https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anneboleyn11-550x410.jpg

Anne is no longer in the “great obscurity” Henry wished would obscure her memory forever, and her name is recorded with her rightful title of “queen” on her marker. Thousands of visitors pay their respects at her original grave site every year. But it would be especially wonderful to be able to do so near the place she really rests.

Thank you Lissa, what a great article! I can see why you would want to visit the crypt so much, to be so close to the remains of Anne Boleyn would be a truly remarkable experience.

The Tomb of Arthur Tudor, The Kings Brother

Henry VII had won the throne of England from Richard III through right of conquest at the Battle of Bosworth on the 22nd August 1485. He married Elizabeth of York the eldest daughter of Edward IV, King of England and his queen Elizabeth Woodville. Their union brought about the end of the Wars of the Roses as it unified the Houses of York and Lancaster. Henry and Elizabeth were keen to start a family as soon as possible as this only helped strengthen the families claim to the throne.

It wasn't long before their prayers were answered. Their first child Arthur was born on the 20th September 1486 in the Priory of Winchester Cathedral. He was soon joined in the Royal nursery by his younger brother Henry (the future Henry VIII) and two sisters, Margaret and Mary.

Prince Arthur, 16th Century, Private Collection

Arthur was invested as the Prince of Wales and was the heir apparent to the throne of England. He was the apple of his dad's eye (who spent a lot of his time in preparing Arthur on how to become an effective ruler). With four children surviving infancy (Arthur also had another sibling Edmund who died young, a sister called Elizabeth, and a sister called Katherine who died a few days after she was born), Henry VII set about planning on how best to marry each of them off to suit England's dynastic needs (England did not become a super power until Henry VIII's reign) and to help strengthen the Tudors claim and hold on the throne of England. Following discussions with Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile ,'The Catholic Kings' a marriage contract was drawn up between Arthur and their youngest daughter, the Infanta Catherine (Catalina) of Aragon.

Catherine of Aragon, 1520, NPG

Arthur and Catherine were married in a lavish ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral on the 14th November 1501. We know that Arthur was delighted with his new wife, but what we do not know is what exactly happened on their wedding night in regards to consummation (neither of them could have guessed that what did or did not happen on their wedding night would later be used as an argument in the divorce proceedings of Catherine and Arthur's younger brother Henry (later Henry VIII) many years later. We do know that Arthur had mentioned to some fellow courtiers the next morning that he had been in 'the midst of Spain', hinting that they had, had sexual intercourse the night before.

The newly wed couple soon moved to Ludlow Castle in England (which was close to the Welsh border), where Arthur was required to run his own court in miniature. This served as good practice for when Arthur was expected to become King of England following his father's death. But Arthur never outlived his father. Catherine and Arthur had contracted an unknown illness whilst at Ludlow (some believe it to be the sweating sickness) of which Arthur did not recover. He died on the 2nd April 1502. His parents were grief-stricken. Arthur's body was taken from Ludlow Castle to Worcester Cathedral, and following a funeral on the 25th April 1502 he was then entombed within a marble tomb displaying the royal arms.

Worcester Cathedral - Author's Image

An elaborate chantry was later erected over Arthur's marble tomb. You can see it in the video below. It was planned that the chantry would be painted in bright colours, but following Catherine's later marriage to Henry VIII this plan was soon abandoned as it seemed more political to him not to draw attention to a king that never was, and especially to one that had married his wife beforehand.

Details on the Chantry relating to Catherine and Arthur, Author's Image

I did not think I would be fortunate enough to view Arthur's tomb in the Chantry (I understand that it has been said his body actually lies a few feet away, but they aren't sure where), but I found the door to it open, and the Cathedral were allowing visitor's to look in.

Open door to the Chantry, Author's Image 

And here it is...

Arthur's Tomb, Author's Image

Detail from the arms on Arthur's tomb, Author's Image

If you are in the Worcester area and have time why not pay a visit to Arthur's tomb? I am still awe struck by just how beautiful it is.

Sources

1. http://www.npg.org.uk/research/conservation/henry-and-katherine-reunited-conserving-the-portrait-of-katherine-of-aragon

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur,_Prince_of_Wales#Marriage

3. http://piersperrotgaveston.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/arthur-tudor-prince-of-wales.html

All Hail Hailes Abbey...

The abbey of Hailes based near Winchcombe in Gloucestershire was originally founded in 1246 by Henry III of England's brother, Richard, Earl of Cornwall as a way of him giving thanks for his survival when at sea. It soon became home to a religious order, and housed Cistercian monks, otherwise known as 'white monks'. Cistercian monks lives were based on manual labour and self-sufficiency, with the monks at Hailes Abbey supporting themselves with the charitable donations made by Pilgrims who visited the site, but also through the produce from its vast estates. The abbey had an orchard, which supplied their fruit, and fishponds which supplied the fish for their tables.

Cistercian Monks, English Heritage

In 1270, the monks were provided with a small flask (or vial) made of a fine silver and crystal, which was said to contain the blood of Christ by Edmund, son of Richard, Earl of Cornwall. The relic proved to be highly popular with Pilgrims (attracting thousands to the site from across the country) and was known as the 'Blood of Hailes'. Due to it's popularity the monks built an entire shrine in which to house the relic, and the abbey grew quite profitable because of it.

The abbey and it's inhabitants lived in relative peace and tranquility up until the reign of Henry VIII of England, where it suffered at the hands of the 'Suppression of the Monasteries', otherwise known as the 'Dissolution of the Monasteries' in 1538/1539.

Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein the Younger (1532-1533)

In 1535 the Valor Ecclesiasticus was drawn up, which provided a valuation of the wealth of the Church throughout both England and Wales, in which Hailes Abbey would have been listed as one of the more profitable religious houses. The King's commissioners (lead by Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal, Vicar General, and Vicegerent in Spirituals to Henry VIII) were also instructed to investigate into all of these monasteries searching for evidence of corruption or vice, as it was believed the churches were fooling people with false relics or statues etc. The 'Suppression of the Monasteries' soon followed in 1536, and continued up until 1540. During this time over 800 monasteries (which had been home to over 10,000 monks, nuns, friars and canons) were suppressed, with former monasteries being sold off to landowners, turned into churches, or left to ruin.

Henry VIII in the Valor Ecclesiasticus (1535)

In 1538, the vial (which couldn't have escaped the King's commissioners) said to contain Christ's blood was taken from Hailes Abbey to London, where judgement was passed that it was not Christ's blood at all, but clarified honey that had been coloured using Saffron. The abbey which had put up some resistance then had no choice but to surrender to the King's commissioners, doing so on Christmas Eve in 1539.

The abbey buildings were taken down and dispersed, with the exception of the buildings in the West range. These buildings became the Country home of the Tracey family from Toddington nearby. However, by the mid 18th Century this was all a ruin.

Hailes Abbey Ruins, Author

Hailes Abbey Ruins, Author

The site now belongs to English Heritage and is well worth a visit if you have a spare couple of hours. The museum houses some amazing Tudor finds from the abbey such as Tudor floor tiles, Tudor Spoons, and Tudor Stucco.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistercians
• http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/henryviii/passion/wealth.htm
• http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item106122.html
• English Heritage, Hailes Abbey, Notice Boards.

The King's Hawking Hood and Gloves

It is well documented that the Tudors enjoyed the sport of Falconry, not only as a form of hunting (to help put food on their tables), but also as a pastime. The sport involved the hunting of small game in their natural habitat with the aid of a trained bird of prey (either some form of falcon or hawk). Henry VIII himself was extremely fond of Falconry in his later years. In the month of September 1533, Sir William Kingston, Constable of the Tower of London remarked that Henry 'hawks everyday with goshawks and other hawks... lanners, sparhawks, and merlins both afore noon and after'. With the help of his Chief Falconer, Robert Cheseman, Henry had different falcons and hawks dotted all over the country, so that wherever he visited he always had some form of falcon or hawk at his disposal.

Portrait of Robert Cheseman, 1533, Hans Holbein the Younger, Mauritshius

Not only did falconry show off his manly skills (the Tudors believed Falconry helped them train/prepare for war), but it was also an area for further display of his kingship. This was achieved through the use of costly materials and fabrics to help create an image of magnificence, but it also served as a reminder of your social status and that no one was higher than the king on the social ladder except almighty God himself. 

As the birds belonged to Henry they (and the items associated with them) were also adorned with the finest silks and velvets that money could buy, and these such items could also be decorated with embroidery, feathers or silver and gold bells. Mark Milliner a falconer of the king put in a bill for a hawking glove that was 'trimmed with crimson velvet and embroidered with gold and silver and another trimmed with white velvet and embroidered with gold and silver, both costing 15s'. We are better able to understand what these looked like from written and pictorial sources. As with other forms of Tudor clothing and accessories any surviving pieces of hawking equipment would be extremely rare, as expensive fabrics and metal threads were frequently reused. Despite this, there is a surviving hawking glove and hood in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, both are linked to the 16th Century and are strongly believed to have belonged to King Henry VIII.

Hawking Hood (Front View)

Hawking Hood (Side View)

Hawking Glove (Right-Handed)

Hawking Glove 

The surviving hawking glove is made of red-brown doeskin with a lining of white doeskin. It is embroidered with silver-gilt thread which is held by red silk stitching, which forms a band that encircles the wrist. It is also embroidered with three circular motifs (each are 60mm in diameter), one at the centre front, one at the centre back and one on the inside fold, which are edged with blue silk. It has a small yellow silk tassel.

Hawking Hood 

The hawking hood is made of leather, which has been covered with a red fabric (probably velvet). The red fabric is decorated with gold thread embroidery, which has incorporated loops of gold and is edged with gold chain work. It does not have a plume.

If you have time to spare why not pop in to the Ashmolean Museum to view them. They are truly remarkable survivals of their time...

Sources

• Henry VIII and Falconry - HRP - 2nd April 2009 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFuG1ddWl8Y
• Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII - Maria Hayward - https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BCgxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT800&lpg=PT800&dq=henry+viii+hawking+hood+and+glove&source=bl&ots=c6oUObwljS&sig=0YNacv_pYlLWg_82n3py1tGULWY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1xJfBgvjVAhWLAMAKHd1vASM4ChDoAQgnMAA#v=onepage&q=henry%20viii%20hawking%20hood%20and%20glove&f=false
• https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/discover/mauritshuis/masterpieces-from-the-mauritshuis/portrait-of-robert-cheseman-14851547-276/
• http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/amulets/tradescant/tradescant07-06.html
• http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/amulets/tradescant/tradescant07-07.html

The Old Palace of Richmond

Richmond Palace (previously known as the Palace of Shene) is associated with all the Tudor Monarchs (it played a large role within all their lives), but it was mostly favoured by King Henry VII - the first Tudor king.

Elizabeth Woodville, the wife of King Edward IV, held the great Palace of Shene until shortly after Henry VII's victory over King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth on the 22nd August 1485, where she then handed it over to her new son-in-law. When the Palace of Shene had come into the king's hands, he had relatively little to do with it, that is until him and his court visited over the Christmas of 1497, and he decided to rebuild/restore the fire ravaged palace into a modern day Tudor pleasure palace. The king's carpenters and stonemasons set to work soon after.

Elizabeth Woodville, Queens College Collection, Cambridge, portrait 88.

Building work finished in 1501,  (the palace now covered over 20 acres) after the king had "rebuilt it up again sumptuously and costly..", with the King then changing the palace's name to Richmond  after his father Edmund Tudor, whose title was that of the Earl of Richmond.

Richmond Palace by Anthonis van den Wyngaerde, C. 1558-1562 

Henry VIII was not as fond of Richmond Palace as his father had been and during his reign it quickly became one of the homes for his discarded queens. Anne of Cleves (Henry VIII's 4th wife) was even given it as part of her marriage settlement. However, Henry VIII's daughter Mary I and Elizabeth I made better use of the palace, with Mary staying at the palace with her new husband Phillip II of Spain as part of their honeymoon, and Elizabeth frequently visiting over the winter months, particularly at Christmas and Shrovetide. Elizabeth I was even at the palace when she died on the 24th March 1603.

The palace then passed from royal hand to royal hand until it was sold by the Commonwealth (after the execution of King Charles I). With the buildings of the royal estate being divided up, and some of the buildings even being destroyed so that the stone could be sold off. To this day the only surviving parts that can be seen of the Tudor Palace of Richmond are the Wardrobe buildings and the gate house.

The surviving Gatehouse

This stonework above the gateway is Tudor, but has been restored over the years.

To give you an idea of the scale of how big the palace would have been - this is me and the doorway.

When I got home after visiting the remains I opened my copy of 'The Royal Palaces of Tudor England' by Simon Thurley, and leafed through it to try and find a picture of the Gateway that I had just seen. And here it is...

Image from 'The Royal Palaces of Tudor England' by Simon Thurley.

You can clearly see the gateway, the stonework above it and the now bricked up doorway to the right of the gateway.

If you are walking through Richmond, or are looking for somewhere to visit on your holidays/travels do not neglect the remains of the palace. They are well worth a visit. It was always on my Tudor Bucket List to visit and it didn't disappoint. The perfect Tudor hideaway from the busy hustle and bustle of London...

Sources

1. https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/life-at-queens/about-the-college/college-facts/foundresses-and-patronesses/elizabeth-woodville
2. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Wyngaerde_Richmond_1562.jpg
3. https://www.richmond.gov.uk/media/6334/local_history_richmond_palace.pdf
4. The Royal Palaces of Tudor England by Simon Thurley, Yale University Press; First Edition; (31st Aug 1993)

Bibliography

1. http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/richmond-lost-palace/
2. http://richmond.gov.uk/services/libraries/branch_libraries/local_studies_collection/local_history_timelines/royal_richmond_timeline

Meeting the Historian and Author Leanda De Lisle and Dom Smee...

Hello Everyone!

I hope your weekend has been as fun filled and joyous as mine. I managed to tick two things off the Tudor bucket list this Sunday. Let me tell you what they are and how I did them.

This Sunday I attended the Battle of Bosworth Medieval Heritage Festival at Bosworth Market in the UK. For those of you that don't know this is the battle where Henry VII (Henry VIII's daddy) won his throne through right of conquest off of Richard III (the king under the car park, and hide and seek champion). The festival itself sadly doesn't take place on the actual field the battle is fought on, as that is currently a working farm, but at the Bosworth Hertitage Centre close to where the battle was actually fought. The festival itself is fundamentally a recreation of the battle of Bosworth - it's the second year I have visited this festival and it is well worth attending. They also have lots of market stalls with traders offering their wares, games for all the family, a living history camp with various presentations, jousting and feats of arms by Destrier (a jousting group -  check them out!), which all work alongside their heritage centre.

Battle recreation - The yorkists under their King Richard III line up ready for battle.

Throughout the day the festival had arranged for Phillipa Langley MBE and Leanda De Lisle, author and historian to give educational talks. Phillipa's talk (which I sadly didn't get to go on as it was sold out) was about her new project on the missing princes in the Tower, and Leanda's was on The Tudors a family story (based on her book), which informed you of how the Tudors came to power throughout this turbulent period of history. We managed to get tickets to Leanda's talk, and it was great. It was so well researched and she showed the audience many images, which I have never seen before relating to this period. Afterwards, she was doing a book signing, and as I had brought one of her books earlier (I had the other one they were selling already at home), I got in the queue ready for her to sign my book.

Me in line, my mum was saying something to me at the time I couldn't quite hear - hence my face!

So I waited patiently and finally it was my turn to meet her and for her to sign my book. All I can say is she is so lovely! She was more than happy to talk to those who had come to see her, and it didn't seem any trouble to her to have her photo taken. She also told me that Phillipa Gregory had based her book on the book I had just asked her to sign. 

And here she is... huzzah! A photo where I haven't accidentally pulled a face or squinted - result!

After this, I left Leanda to meet the rest of her adoring fans, to go and watch the jousting by Destrier,  which was based in the main arena. On the way, however I paused (okay, and jumped up and down a lot in excitement - granted) before grabbing my mums arm, and then pointing over in the direction of the huts. Stood in front of them was none other that Dominic Smee!

If you don't know Dominic Smee, where have you been?!?! Dom has the same curvature of the spine as Richard III, and following the dig for Richard was provided with armour specially made for his body so that he could carry out athletic-based tests to see how his body performed with this slight disability, and whether they could even get armour on somebody with scoliosis. Turns out you can, and it's didn't put him at a great disadvantage as many were to have believed. I have attached a link below to a short clip of Dom talking about how his life has changed since he helped scientists with these tests.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/richard-iii-the-new-evidence/videos/all/becoming-richard-iii/3728093957001

So, I plucked up the courage, ran over and asked him for a photo. Thankfully, he said yes, and I said to him ''I bet you get this all the time'', to which he said ''yes'' and then chuckled a little.

Me and Dominic Smee...

After, this I thanked him and then we had to run off for the jousting. I was on a high and then the sombre part of the day came round - the battle reenactment. I'm not really a teary person, but last year when they carried Richard off on the horse, and then Henry VII was given the crown I was fighting back the tears a little - and this year was no different. I guess it's just because I have spent many years following, and researching things to do with the Tudor period, but this is where it truly began.

In all I had a wonderful day, and was so fortunate to be able to tick two things off of my Tudor Bucket List. I even ran into my friend Catherine Brooks (who works for The Tudor Society and Made Global Publishing), her partner David Ibbotson and their wonderful son Lukas. 

Third Greatest Day Ever!

Hello Everyone!

Sorry for the delay in posting. I have been out having the most marvellous time ever, since I got some wonderful news through! More on that in a second.. I need to give you some background before I can tell you it, and you won't think me crazy (it happens a lot believe me).

So to give you a bit of background about me, I never knew what I wanted to be at school, and subsequently bummed my way though school and college (literally the worst thing I could have done - yep, I know that now!). Any who, my love of the Tudor period came later, a lot later. I liked History but it was never something I thought of as a career or anything. So I stumbled my way through different jobs before settling on a position in HR, which I quite enjoy, and hey it pays the bills.

Through my many years re-enacting Henry VIII's immediate family though, I realised this was something I truly enjoyed, and I couldn't wait for my weekends to come so that I could run from the day job, and have a weekend of pure bliss.

From this I know now that my dream job would be working for Past Pleasures or Historic Royal Palaces as a Costumed Interpreter. Basically that meant I would go around in costume interacting with the public, and bringing the past closer to visitors by interpreting a historical site and it's objects, and telling it's story to them. However, making this leap wouldn't be easy, I'm running out of time in life, and I do not have a qualification in the relevant fields, besides having a bucket load of passion. Also the job market in Heritage is unbelievably tough, so a lot of people carry out volunteering in the relevant field to gain experience, alongside working for their degree's. I have volunteered for Sudeley Castle before and carried out work as a guide, so volunteering in a historical site was nothing unusual for me. Let me tell you it's a completely different world on the other side of the doors!

One day I was searching on the National Trust website, and decided to look at the Volunteering section instead of the jobs section, and low and behold they had a Costumed Interpreter role going - this was crazily rare! Then I thought knowing me it will be somewhere so far away that it would be unfeasible for me to do it, but I clicked on it anyway - seriously God/a higher power (whatever you choose to believe) was smiling on me this day. The position was at Chedworth Roman Villa just 25 minutes up the road from where I lived! So I applied... and then I waited.. and waited..

A couple of weeks later, I received an email from a lady at the National Trust. The references I gave came back satisfactory and could I come in for a Trial day. Here was the tricky part, I have so much going on at work at the moment so I said I could, but I would only be able to at the weekend, and I couldn't do this one as I was taking part in a Relay for Life for Cancer Research (everyone raised £80k + what an achievement!). She replied that she was taking part too, and that we could meet up there. Which was amazing - don't you just love life when it plans out! So here was the funny bit, it was a fancy dressed event, which meant she had to look for me and I was wearing a massive yellow anorak (Singing in the Rain) and I had to look for her, and she was dressed as a Nun (Sister Act)! You literally can't make that up!

That's just some of my team below, just so you understand how lovely I looked..

So, I met her, and agreed with her to go in the following Saturday to meet with a long serving Costumed Interpreter there to have a look around. I came away pinching myself, not quite believing this was real. Yes, it's Roman (which I don't know very well - I am happy to learn of course), but it's a direct foot in the door to something I would love to do, with a phenomenal and well known company. I can't stop smiling!

Until next time...

The Start of Something New...

Hello Everyone!

My name is Rachel McNeil and I have been nutty about the Tudors since the summer of 2010 (admit it you hoped I was going to say 69 then), when I first caught an episode of the Tudors on TV. Anne Boleyn was so charismatic and mesmerising to me back then, I just had to know more about her, and all the other people within Henry VIII's court. This in turn led me to pick up my first Tudor book on Henry's wives, and well as they say the rest is history.

I dabbled at almost everything Tudor related. I attended author talks and book signings, collected books, went on educational courses, dressed as a Tudor, tried my hand at creating Tudor clothing, gave talks/presentations and I ran a Tudor Facebook page called 'The Tudor Diaries' with over 8,000 followers (I still run it to this day).

During this time though I have had some amazing experiences, made some great friends, and have been fortunate enough to have achieved my ultimate dream (I will talk about this in another post - I would make yourself comfortable for that one, I imagine it will be quite a long post), which is something I never thought that I would have been able to achieve.

Now I admit, I have been pretty useless over the last year and a bit in relation to my Tudor escapades, in between saving for a house with my fiance, completing a CIPD course in HR, and completing my ultimate dream, my mojo was a little lost. I knew in my heart I still liked the Tudor period, but what was there left to do having completed my ultimate dream? I pondered on this a good while.

Well, you see I am a massive believer in having a bucket list, because life is short, and you never know when the grim reaper might be coming for you. I knew that I wanted a full life, and then it dawned on me... Yes, I have completed my ultimate dream, but if I died tomorrow would I die happy knowing that there were still Tudor related sites I could have visited, authors I could have met, or original documents I could have seen. No, I don't think I would!

And so my Tudor Bucket List was born!

I sat down and wrote everything I wanted/still wished to do. Like a normal bucket list it will expand and decrease, as I complete things, or think of new things I would like to complete, but it is all Tudor related. This blog will be my pledge to both you and I of what I wish to do, and it will be my journal/diary of everything I have experienced on this journey/path.

I hope you enjoy this blog, and my journey...

Let me know what your ultimate Tudor dream would be in the comments below. I would love to hear them.