Tour Dates

Tudor Women

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Power behind the throne

Our Tudor Women tour embraces the lives of wives, sisters and courtiers in the turbulent Tudor century.  Some of the women we meet on our tour were powerful in their own right.  Others held power more discretely.  A few were victims of the politics of the age.   All have their own stories to tell.

This packed 7 nights, 8 day fully escorted tour  follows the journeys of  over a dozen influential women of their age.  We follow the love lives of Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth.  We become embroiled in the intrigue that almost led to Civil War as Lady Jane Grey vies for the throne as a young teenager.  We look at the lives of Bess Throckmorton who defied Elizabeth I and was banished from Court and Mary Sidney who some say wrote Shakespeare’s plays.

Accommodation

All the hotels are specially chosen for their historic importance and character. They are mostly old Coaching Inns that have retained their historic character with low oak beams, uneven floors and some still have their big fireplaces. All rooms have en-suite facilities.

Costs include transport during the tour, entrance fees to heritage sites, attractions and activities, bed and breakfast at the hotels and a sumptuous Tudor banquet held at a venue in London on the last night of the tour.

Please note that centuries old castles and houses were not built with lifts and escalators. Some have many steps and restricted access points. Some of the old inns at which we stay do not have lifts either.  Please ask us about any mobility issues, if you have any of these considerations as we can provide an honest assessment of all of the places we visit and hotels we use.

Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8
Day 1 Hatfield House & Grafton

Henry VIII used Hatfield House as a home for his children, Edward, Elizabeth and Mary. It was while she was living in the Old Palace, in 1558, that Elizabeth learned of her accession to the throne whilst she was by a tree in the deer park.  The estate has been in the Cecil family for 400 years and they are keepers of many of Elizabeth’s letters and possessions.

We travel to Grafton where Elizabeth Woodville met and secretly married Edward IV at the Hermitage.  

Tudor Women Itinerary Day 1 Image
Day 2 Hever and Penshurst Place

Hever Castle in Kent, a moated manor house, this was the home of the Boleyn family. So  we enter the age  of  romance  and relive the love story of the age which led to divorce, excommunication and the threat of war.  Both of the Boleyn sisters were lovers of the King with one laying with him whilst married to another, and the other, Anne, becoming Queen.

Then to Penshurst Place which is one of the most important houses in the Tudor story, associated with Anne of Cleves, Elizabeth I, Lady Wroth acclaimed Tudor poet and literary guru of Tudor times, Mary Syndey. 

Tudor Women Itinerary Day 2 Image
Day 3 Buckden Towers, Kimbolton & Peterborough Cathedral

We follow the last years of Catherine of Aragon with a stop at Buckden Towers, a Bishop’s Palace on the edge of the fens in Cambridgeshire. Catherine lived here before she was forcibly taken to Kimbolton Castle near Huntingdon and where she later died. Kimbolton is not generally open to the public but a special guided tour has been arranged by appointment toTudor History Tours.  

Then to Peterborough Cathedral where Catherine was buried along with Mary Queen of Scots who was later exhumed and re-interred at Westminster Abbey.

 

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Day 4 Kenilworth castle

Richard III Centre in Leicester, the King under the car park. the bones of the last Plantagenet King were found in 2013 and re-interred in Leicester Cathedral. The visitors centre and burial place are one of the most evocative sites in the country.

At Kenilworth Castle you will gaze in wonder at the beautifully restored privy garden and marvel at Robert Dudley’s passion that made him spend millions on this extravagant display of love during the glorious summer progress of 1575 with Elizabeth I.

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Day 5 Coughton Court and Sudeley Castle

We relive the story of religious persecution with a visit to Coughton Court, home of Bess Throckmorton. Recently discovered priest holes revealed artefacts hidden during that time, amongst them a bishop’s Cope believed to have been worked upon by Catherine of Aragon. Bess was also Queen Elizabeth’s favourite lady-in-waiting until she married Sir Walter Raleigh in secret.

Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, is a  grand manor house, home and burial place of Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife. She is the only English Queen buried in private grounds.

 

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Day 6 The Vyne and Syon House

 

Travelling south to Hampshire we visit The Vyne owned by one of Henry VIII's courtiers and Henry visited here with Catherine of Aragon.  It has the finest original oak panelled long gallery in the country.

We then travel to Syon House on the River Thames where Catherine Howard was taken after her arrest in 1542. 

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Day 7 Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace was taken from Cardinal Wolsey by Henry for Anne Boleyn. The Tudor building has been wonderfully conserved, a celebration of Henry’s accession to the throne over 500 years ago. The wine fountain in the centre of the courtyard is an exact replica of that seen on the painting of the Field of the Cloth of Gold. Costumed actors perform vignettes throughout the day and we may be fortunate to be there when they fire up the huge kitchens and recreate the meals that would have been served during the Tudor period or be guests at one of Henry’s wedding parties. 

 

 

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Day 8 Farewell

The previous evening was a fitting finale for our Grand Progress.  After a leisurely breakfast we arrange transport back to a London mainline railway  station or London airport if agreed when booking. For those who have later journeys, we can arrange additional trips to sites in London if these have been agreed prior to arrival

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From £3189.00*

* All prices are per person, based on two people sharing a double, or twin room. A 20% supplement applies to all solo bookings.

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Tour Dates

18th - 25th August 2023

What's Included

What's Included

  • Hatfield House, Hampton Court Palace, Penshurst Place , Hever Castle, Syon House, Buckden Towers, Kimbolton School, Peterborough Cathedral, Richard III Centre, Kenilworth Castle, Coughton Court, Sudeley Castle, Grafton Regis.
  • All entry fees
  • Bed & breakfast accommodation
  • All tour transport

Personalised History Tours

We can cater for small family groups or individuals and provide a unique Royal Progress Tour to suit any requirements, or design an independent itinerary. Our speciality is the Tudor period but we can organise any tour or even days out of London that will satisfy everyone in the family. We've mixed Henry VIII and Jane Austen, Roman Britain and Harry Potter.  With Tudor History Tours you can sit back and enjoy and let us plan the details.

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Testimonials

  • 'I feel like I have a lifelong tour guide when coming to London. The entire experience was exceptional.'

    Annette Bloom, California
  • 'I just wanted to say what a fabulous trip we had! Truly the best trip I have ever taken. I would go with Tudor History Tours in a heartbeat.'

    Cathy Cole, Michigan
  • 'Steve was constantly striving to give us the best experience possible. Very personable and knowledgeable.'

    Janet Storm, North Carolina, USA
  • 'Atmosphere was everywhere and if you are at all interested in history, this tour is a must. You will never find another quite like it.'

    Barbara Goodall, British Columbia, Canada
  • 'Steve is wonderful! Kind, thoughtful, patient, really nice to be with, so knowledgeable. A pleasure.'

    Sarah Moldenhauer-Salazar, San Francisco
  • 'What a memorable, magical tour through Tudor England. It exceeded all expectations - and I have pretty high expectations!'

    Bonnie Scott, Seattle, USA
  • 'Just excellent. Can’t wait to come back and do another visit. I travel a lot and it’s such a better experience with a knowledgeable guide.'

    Vicki, California, USA
  • 'I think the whole thing is JUST GREAT! You've included most of the "must see" places for England.'

    Jackie Jenkins, Atlanta, USA
  • 'Overall we were extremely pleased with the preparation, attentiveness of Steve before and during our time in England.'

    Lilian Perotto, Toronto, Canada
  • 'Steve was great at personalising the tour and enthusiastic. All the places were very interesting, each in their own way.'

    Karen Yell, New York
  • 'The group had diverse interests and our guide was able to meet the needs of everyone.'

    Marcy Caplin, Cleveland, Ohio
  • 'The entire agenda was planned out well with careful research and attention to detail. This tour fully realised my objectives for this trip.'

    Jeanne Mangemilli, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
  • 'This tour was so much fun and I definitely would consider doing something like this again. I learnt so much!'

    Adrienne Savoldi, Pittsberg, Pensylvania

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End of the second Elizabethan age 10th September 2022

It is with enormous sorrow that we learnt of the death of our Queen. The country mourns the passing of an age and we ponder on the lessons she left.

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