Lincoln Castle is an amazing place to visit with its complete circular wall that can be walked with great views of the nearby cathedral. It is rather unusual with two Norman mottes and with its history of numerous medieval sieges. All the medieval sieges were of national importance and featured King Stephen, King Richard, King John and the nine year old King Henry III. In 1217, the castle was pounded by boulders fired from massive catapults known as trebuchets as part of the Battle of Lincoln. Victory of Henry III’s army led by the heroic William Marshall, just outside the castle walls, put a ..read more

The guidebook states “Knole was built to impress” and it still has the ‘wow factor today. Driving through the beautiful estate to get to the carpark heightens expectation of what you will see when the immense house comes into view. Seeing this majestic residence for the first time will, to use an overworked phrase, “blow your mind”. It is simply stunning. Looking at the surrounding countryside you will see an amazing setting and immediately want to see the whole package, the house and the park. It is one of the largest country houses in England and it sits amidst one of the last remaining dee ..read more

This is the largest Norman Keep in Europe built on top of the remains of the great temple of Claudius, the conquered England. Once called the capital of England and the place destroyed by Queen Boudicca in AD 60, Colchester has seen some awesome events and the castle has items from all of them. Visitors are pointed to loads of things to touch and for children, at least 4 dressing up areas including Roman shields and helmets. An audio visual displaying the prison section eerily takes you back to Bloody Mary’s burning protestants at the stake and Matthew Hopkins Witchfinder inquisition. Plus the ..read more

What you see today is the Tudor gatehouse built in 1501 by Henry VII which began as a substantial manor house in 1125 and became a royal manor house in 1327. Important events involving key Tudors took place at Richmond Palace. Henry VII died here and in 1603, so did his granddaughter, Elizabeth I. Prince Henry, later Henry VIII, nearly lost his life here and his eldest daugther, Mary spent her honeymoon within its walls. Menu What can you see on a visit? A brief history of Richmond Palace. Essential information What can you see on a visit? The Tudor gatehouse above with an informatio ..read more

Menu; What is there to see? The background to Richard’s death. The rediscovery of Richard’s body and his identification. The Richard III timeline FAQs about Richard III Essential information What is there to see? A visit to the Richard III Visitor Centre is a must for any medieval history fan. It tells the story of the Wars of the Roses using some amazing graphics and how Richard came to rule England. You are then taken on a path to discover what happened to Richard’s body having lost the Battle of Bosworth Field to Henry Tudor. The great mystery was only recently solved but then t ..read more

In August 2012 there was a media frenzy taking place near an old car park in the city of Leicester. What was going on? The world’s media had just been informed that archaeologists had found skeletal remains which were possibly those of King Richard III of England. Back in August 1485, Richard III had been killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field by the army of Henry Tudor, soon to become Henry VII. There had been all kinds of theories about where Richard’s remains were and now, the current theory that he had been buried in GreyFriars’ Friary seemed to have been proven correct. Historian, John As ..read more

A visit to the Museum of London will take you on a journey through time. There is a huge amount of beautifully displayed artefacts including the skulls of a cave bear and a lion as well as the tusk and tooth from a woolly mammoth. You can see and handle some of the tools that early man used in prehistoric London and see how pottery developed. Many examples of early man’s use of metal are on display as well as displays on Roman London. Models have been constructed to give you an idea of some of the bigger Roman buildings in London as well as the Globe theatre and the original St Paul’s Cathedra ..read more

Pendennis Castle seen from the side. Menu Why was England in peril? What is there to see at Pendennis castle? What happened at Pendennis Castle when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne? Essential information Why was England in peril? The short answer to this is that in Henry’s desperate bid to get a son, he made three big enemies, France, Spain and the Pope. In 1538 they all ganged up against him. How did the alliance of France and Spain happen? Henry VIII’s problems began when his elder brother, Prince Arthur, heir to the throne suddenly died in 1502. This meant Henry was now heir to the t ..read more

Why visit Hever Castle? If you love your Tudor history, Hever Castle is the perfect place to get up close to several significant pieces of 16th century history. Built in 1271, it is the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII who was Queen for only 1,000 days, and is home to not only classic Tudor architecture, but several notable exhibits. Located just outside of London (in Kent), Hever has been restored but furnished sympathetically to its original style by the wishes of the Aster family from America. Hever is a beautiful castle and has brilliant examples of a medieval ..read more

Henry VIII was such a powerful, dominating king that a visit from him would be very costly and did not just mean a sumptuous meal. Not even a few alterations to the decor would be enough if a man, such as Lord Sandys, wanted to gain his favour on a regular basis. Getting it right would mean a huge elevation in status, key jobs with prestigious titles and a vastly increased income. To be seen near the king and have such a job would mean others would be want to be in Sandys’ company and offer favours for advancement. Get it wrong and a big fall from grace would take place with “doors being clos ..read more