Tudor locations

Discover the dramatic Tudor period with our guide to Tudor locations, taking in the palatial grandeur of Longleat House and the legendary Tower of London, where many an execution took place...

Henry VIII Anniversary in London

This year, London celebrates 500 years since Henry VIII was crowned King. Henry lived and died in London, and there are events happening all over the capital to commemorate the famous Tudor King. You can watch a jousting tournament, see a suit of Henry's armour, explore a Tudor garden and enjoy a Tudor feast.

For highlights of the anniversary year, see www.visitlondon.com/henry

Buckland Abbey, Devon

Not one but two of the Elizabethan era’s most famous sailors lived at Buckland Abbey. First converted to a house by Sir Richard Grenville, it then became the home of Sir Francis Drake after his successful circumnavigation of the world. The magnificent panelled Great Hall and Drake Chamber named after a hero of the Armada battles can still be seen.

Find out more about Buckland Abbey

Hampton Court Palace, London

Henry VIII was so enchanted with Hampton Court that he ‘persuaded’ Cardinal Wolsey to give it to him. The King then embellished it to make it one Europe’s most impressive palaces. Elizabeth loved to use it to impress foreign delegations and stage immense entertainments. Scandalously, she moved Robert Dudley near her own lavish apartments, so setting the court gossips aflutter!

Find out more about Hampton Court Palace

Hever Castle, Kent

The enchanting pocket-sized castle at Hever was a scene of Tudor royal romance when Henry VIII came a-courting Anne Bolelyn. The family home of Elizabeth’s mother (see her surprisingly-small bedroom) is set amid glorious gardens, which were largely laid out by William Waldorf Astor nearly 400 years after the ill-fated Anne set out on the road to the Tower.

Find out more about Hever Castle

Melford Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk

The dramatic skyline is classic Elizabethan: fanciful octagonal turrets and tall chimneystacks above mellow brickwork. Little has changed externally since Elizabeth and 2,000 members of her Court were lavishly entertained here in 1578, by the hospitable (and presumably wealthy!) Sir William Cordell. Inside, the fine panelled banqueting hall can still be seen, as can the stained-glass depiction of Elizabeth in the Gallery.

Find out more about Melford Hall

Longleat House, Warminster, Wiltshire

Longleat was still under construction when Elizabeth first visited in 1574, and, on its completion, took its place as one of the finest examples of high Elizabethan architecture in the country. Amid all the grand rooms behind the exquisite Tudor façade, the Elizabethan Great Hall remains at the heart of the palatial mansion and is just as Elizabeth would have enjoyed.

Find out more about Longleat House

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London

The Globe Theatre is a faithful reconstruction of Shakespeare’s open-air playhouse for which he wrote many of his greatest plays. The first year (1599) alone saw Henry V, As You Like It and Julius Caesar performed in front of seated patrons and ‘groundlings’ - just as now.  In the UnderGlobe is a fascinating exhibition on the Bard and his world.

Find out more about Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Montacute House, Somerset

The glittering façade of this magnificent honey-coloured Elizabethan mansion hides an equally sumptuous interior. Come face-to-face with the Tudor monarchs, and their ‘movers and shakers’ in the National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition in Montacute’s splendid Long Gallery. Bizarrely, the East Court has two ‘pudding houses’ - elegant pavilions used in Tudor and Stuart times retire too when it was pudding time.

Find out more about Montacute House

Sherbourne Castle, Dorset

Sir Walter Raleigh set his heart on the Old Castle and persuaded Elizabeth to transfer it from the Church to him. He built a new castle - Sherbourne Lodge, which still stands four-square amid the Dorset countryside. A flamboyant adventurer and explorer, Sir Walter was at times an Elizabethan favourite and, at times, found it best to retreat to exploring the Americas.

Find out more about Sherbourne Castle

Leeds Castle, Kent

Romantically set on two islands adrift on a lake, Leeds Castle has hosted royalty and celebrities for centuries. Henry VIII, Elizabeth’s father, and his court were frequent visitors, enjoying the idyllic setting and opulence that were enhanced by later 20th-century residents.

Find out more about Leeds Castle

The Tower of London, London

You can’t go through Traitor’s Gate anymore - be thankful, it was terrifying for the then Princess Elizabeth, a prisoner of her half-sister, Mary. Elizabeth’s next ‘visit’ was more triumphant as she left for her coronation in Westminster Abbey. The long and bloody history of The Tower casts its shadow over 1,000 years: palace, fortress, celebrity prison and, for the unfortunate, place of execution.

Find out more about The Tower of London