Recent Posts

A visit to Haddon Hall & Hardwick Hall

Today's post is a guest article by On the Tudor Trail reader Debbie Fenton. Debbie recently visited two gems - Haddon Hall and Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire and was kind enough to share some information about her trip with us. I devour books about the Tudors in the hope of getting to know them better but I have never felt closer to them as when I am walking in their footsteps! Haddon Hall Visiting Haddon Hall is the closest thing you can get to going back in a time machine. It is … [Read More...]

An interview with author Sandra Byrd

I recently posted my review of 'To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn' and today I would like to share with you an interview with the author, Sandra Byrd. In our interview Sandra shares the inspiration behind her book, she talks about why she believes Anne is such a fascinating subject for novelists and even gives us a taste of the next novel in the Ladies in Waiting series, The Secret Keeper. Unfortunately, we have to wait until June 2012 for the next installment of this wonderful Tudor … [Read More...]

A review of ‘To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn’

Sandra Byrd’s ‘To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn’ was the only ‘Tudor comfort’ I allowed myself on a recent family vacation and boy am I glad I took this treasure along! It is the story of Anne Boleyn told through the eyes of her friend and confidante, Meg Wyatt but Meg is much more than just a narrator. She is a complex and engaging character with her own intriguing story to tell and I found myself drawn to her from the first page. Through Meg, the Anne that emerges is a remarkable … [Read More...]

Tudor Photo Tours

I should begin by apologising for my absence over the last couple of weeks. I have only recently returned from a vacation and promised myself that whilst away I would remain with both feet firmly planted in the 21st century. I must say that I did better than anticipated! The only Tudor comfort I allowed myself was Sandra Byrd's fabulous book, To Die For - a review coming soon. Now, to the purpose of this post, one of the reasons why I started On the Tudor Trail was as a place to document … [Read More...]

Where Tudor Spirits Dwell…

I am delighted to be able to share with you an extract from my sister's second book due out in bookstores in 3 days! Where Spirits Dwell unearths the creaking, spine-chilling moments when ghosts appear in suburbia and takes readers inside other haunted dwellings including schools, pubs and even shopping centres. This extract is from a chapter about our travels around England on a holiday that we dubbed our 'Tudor pilgrimage'. Hope you enjoy it! Read the extract here. … [Read More...]

Dressing Anne Boleyn

I recently posted about some gowns that Anne Boleyn purchased for herself and the Princess Elizabeth between January and April 1536. Today I wanted to mention two pairs of detachable sleeves, which have been identified as belonging to Anne as a result of the embroidery depicting honeysuckles and acorns – Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII’s private motif – that adorn the sleeves. Honeysuckle has long been a symbol of love and devotion, while an acorn symbolizes fertility, growth and new life. It … [Read More...]

Evening Lectures at Hampton Court Palace

Just a quick post to share with you some wonderful lectures and events that will be taking place over the next few months at Hampton Court Palace. The focus is on Elizabeth I and her court, exploring everything from what they ate to what medicine they used. According to HRP "This autumn, we look at Henry's most famous daughter, Elizabeth I. The ultimate survivor, Elizabeth outlived her Tudor half-siblings, and became queen, reigning for 44 years in what is often regarded as a 'Golden … [Read More...]

The Finale of our Tudor Summer Progress

I would just like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to Mike for sharing his wonderful trip with us. I have enjoyed his posts very much and learnt a lot! I hope that you will join me in thanking him for taking the time to write in such detail about each of the fascinating locations he visited and I would appreciate it very much if you left a comment of thanks if you too have enjoyed his posts as much as I have. If you would like to join me on a Tudor progress with a … [Read More...]

Eltham Palace and Chelsea Old Church

Tudor Summer Progress - Day 5 By Mike Glaeser While I couldn't make it out to Bosworth where the Tudor dynasty began, I did make it to another location where the life of Henry VIII first took form. Although born at Greenwich, Henry spent most of his childhood in the close quarters of Eltham Palace. It was here that he first learned to read and write under the tutelage of his mother, Elizabeth of York. It was also at Eltham where the Humanist scholar Erasmus first met the young Prince. … [Read More...]

King’s College Chapel & Trinity College Gatehouse

Tudor Summer Progress- Day 4 by Mike Glaeser So much for Boswoth…I effectively audibled my audible. The end result is that I ended up on a train to Cambridge, situated one-hour north on the rails. In this large college town (though nothing like a US college town) are two schools with heavy ties to the Tudors. King’s is up first and rightly so for an entire half of its structure is a monument to the Tudor dynasty. Henry VI placed the first stone for a new chapel and college in the … [Read More...]

A Tudor Summer Progress – Day 3

Hever Castle, St. Peter’s Church & St. Mary’s at Lambeth by Mike Glaeser My white shoes got to stay that way after all. Don’t know how it happened but we had blue skies with some clouds and sun mixed in. 71 degrees…excellent weather for walking around in the countryside. Getting to Hever Castle is a bit of a trek. After a 30 mile train ride, you get to walk the remaining two miles across farmland. Calm, relaxing and fun. Hever Castle, as we all know, is the childhood home of Anne … [Read More...]