Palaces & Houses
In Iron Acton, Bristol lies a well preserved Tudor Treasure- Acton Court.
In 1535, while on summer progress with her husband King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn stayed at Acton Court. Like any loyal subject, the home’s owner, Nicholas Poyntz, wanted to impress his Sovereigns and so he had a new East Wing built. This expensive addition to the home took nine months to complete and included luxurious and fashionable decorations in the state apartments.
Much of what remains of Acton Court today is part of the addition made to the home in 1535. It also houses another Tudor treasure- Henry's garderobe or privy. This was uncovered during conservation works in 1994.
Further archaeological digs at Acton Court have also uncovered fine 16th century venetian glass and spanish ceramics all thought to have some connection to the Royal progress of 1535.
Acton Court is a remarkable home, not only because of the fact that the surviving wing was built solely for the pleasure of the King and Queen but also because of the wonderful contemporary artifacts found hidden beneath its ground and the original state in which the house is kept.
Acton Court is open to the public from the 16th June until the 23rd of August, excluding Mondays. Access to the home and gardens is by tour only.
For more information visit:
Hampton Court
Hampton Court Palace is undoubtedly one of my favourite places in the world! Although physically, little of Cardinal Wolsey’s and Henry VIII’s Hampton Court survives today, as it was either demolished, modified or modernised, you can still get a feel of what Henry’s beloved palace would have looked like when it was at the centre of court life and politics.
The Great Hall with its splendid hammer-beam roof and priceless tapestries, the Great Watching Chamber where courtiers dined and waited for access to the King, the Haunted Gallery where Catherine Howard is said to have made a final plea for mercy and the Chapel Royal all have the ability to transport you back in time. I have never felt so close to the Tudors as I have when I’m at Hampton Court.
Of course, we cannot forget to mention the extensive Tudor kitchens, base court and clock court that all offer a glimpse into daily life at court in King Henry VIII’s reign.
Although Henry VIII’s and his queen’s apartments were destroyed in the late 17th century you can still feel the presences of his queens and almost see them walking the grounds.
Anne Boleyn would have visited Hampton Court on a number of occasions and indulged in Henry’s magnificent palace that when completed consisted of pleasure gardens, tennis courts, bowling alleys, a hunting park and even a multiple garderobe. This was a palace built to impress and after almost 500 years its wonders do not cease to amaze.
Hampton Court is an essential part of the Tudor journey a place so special that one visit will most definitely not be enough!
For more information visit: Hampton Court official website Source Thurley, Simon Hampton Court Palace- Official Guidebook 1996. The Royal Palace of Hatfield in Hertfordshire (c 1485) is where Elizabeth I spent most of her childhood. Henry VIII owned the older building of the old palace and surrounding deer park and used it as a home for his children, Edward, Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth was sent to live at Hatfield when she was only three months old. It was the little princesses own private household managed by a staff of nurses, courtiers and tutors. Her now illegitimate half-sister, Lady Mary, was sent to wait on her. On the few occasions that Queen Anne Boleyn visited her daughter at Hatfield, the tension, between the now illegitimate Lady Mary and her 'step-mother', must have been extreme. Before her third birthday, Elizabeth also found herself a mere 'Lady' and motherless. Today, visitors can see the newer Hatfield House and what remains of the original Royal Palace of Hatfield. Unfortunately, all that remains of the old palace where Elizabeth lived and the palace that Queen Anne Boleyn would have known is the Banqueting Hall. In the park, an oak tree marks the place where Elizabeth first heard of her accession to the throne on November 17th 1558. This is a wonderful spot to just sit and ponder those famous words, "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." For those of us that love the thought of being in a space once filled with the laughter and tears of Elizabeth and her mother Queen Anne Boleyn, then this is a place you must visit. Although there is not much left of the original palace, the grounds still resonate with the ghosts of its past inhabitants. For more information visit: http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/ Blickling Hall is a stately home in Norfolk, England. The Boleyn family owned the original hall from 1499 until 1505. It is thought that Mary and George were born at Blickling but it is not known if Anne was, as her date of birth is still the subject of much discussion. If she was born prior to 1505, as one school of thought suggests, then it is likely she was born at Blickling. But if her birth was post 1505, then it is likely she was born at Hever Castle in Kent. The current home was built on the ruins of the old Boleyn property during the reign of James I. Although nothing of the original property remains, the grounds are said to play host to the spectre of Anne Boleyn on the anniversary of her execution and that of her father Thomas Boleyn. For more information visit: The National Trust- Blickling Hall Rochford Hall in Essex is a manor house said to be where King Henry VIII first cast his eyes on a young Anne Boleyn. The Boleyns owned the home from 1515, a home claimed to be the setting of secret meetings between King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. There are even rumours of a secret tunnel system beneath the home that King Henry VIII used as his discreet escape route from the house. The manor was originally built in 1216 and in its 16th century form, comprised a turreted manor with moat and a great hall. The hall has been greatly altered over the years and is now privately owned and operates as a golf club. According to a previous owner, there are stories of sightings of a headless lady and feelings of extreme cold in one of the rooms. Is this the ghost of Anne Boleyn? The Vyne was built in the 16th century for Lord Sandys, Henry VIII’s Lord Chamberlain. Henry VIII first visited in 1510 with his first wife Catherine of Aragon. The Tudor Gothic Capel houses magnificent Renaissance stained glass depicting Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. It is also home to 16th century Flemish-Majolica tiles and a wealth of furniture, textiles and oak panelling dating back to c1521. The Vyne is also home to one of the most richly decorated long galleries surviving from the first half of the 16th century and a stone gallery. Henry visited on two more occasions, in 1531 and in 1535 accompanied by his second wife Queen Anne Boleyn. Sandys would later escort Anne to her imprisonment in the Tower. For more information visit: Originally built in 1292 as a moated manor by the de Passele family, it was eventually sold to the Bullen family from Norfolk in 1453. The Bullens, later Boleyns, held the manor until Queen Anne Boleyn’s downfall in 1536 possibly using it as a hunting lodge. It is said that Anne Boleyn stayed here as a child, this I think may be likely considering its proximity to Hever Castle, the Boleyn family home. Mr and Mrs Sellick are the current owners of the beautiful Pashley Manor. The timber framed home has a Tudor front built in 1550 therefore is not the original home that the Boleyns would have known but is built on the same land. I think this is still worthy of mention as it has a strong connection to the Boleyns. The gardens are opened to the public but unfortunately the home is not. For more information visit: http://www.pashleymanorgardens.com/ Sources: http://www.pashleymanorgardens.com/ http://www.villagenet.co.uk/esussex-iron/villages/ticehurst.php
With a history spanning more than 900 years, Westminster Hall is the only part of the ancient Palace of Westminster to survive in almost original form. Built between 1097 and 1099 by William Rufus it has played host to a variety of ceremonies and events. From great feasts and banquets to Tudor disguisings and even an early form of shopping centre! Take a virtual tour of this extraordinary hall and explore the fantastic 3D reconstructed model of Westminster Hall in 1099 and 1400. But most importantly, for fans of Anne Boleyn, it is where Anne’s lavish and magnificent coronation banquet was held in 1533. Over 80 dishes were served during the festivities and one can only imagine that Anne, six months pregnant, must have been exhausted but also overjoyed at having finally attained the ‘mystique of monarchy’ (Ives, 2004, p.179). Edward Hall describes the hall in his account of Anne’s coronation: And when the mass was done they left, every man in his order, to Westminster Hall, she still going under the canopy, crowned, with two sceptres in her hands, my Lord Wiltshire her father, and Lord Talbot leading her, and so dined there; and there was made the most honourable feast that has been seen. The great hall at Westminster was richly hung with rich cloth of Arras, and a table was set at the upper end of the hall, going up twelve steps, where the queen dined; and a rich cloth of estate hung over her head. There were also four other tables along the hall; and it was railed on every side, from the high dais in Westminster Hall to the platform in the church in the abbey. Upon leaving the hall Anne smiled and said ‘I thank you all for the honour ye have done to me on this day’ (Ives, 2004, p, 181). Westminster Hall was also the setting of Thomas More’s trial where he was charged of High Treason for denying the validity of the Act of Succession. Westminster Hall is most definitely another worthy stop on the Tudor Trail. Sources Westminster Hall Official Website Ives, E. (2004). The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. Blackwell Publishing.
Hatfield House- The Old Palace
Blickling Hall- Norfolk
Rochford Hall- Essex
The Vyne- Hampshire
Pashley Manor
Westminster Hall
