Historical Jaunt #2

Part 1 HERE - Hever Castle

Part 3 - The Tower of London HERE

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- Hever Church -

Here lies Thomas Boleyn, father of Anne, Mary and George

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- Penshurst Place -

Where Henry VIII used to stay when he visited Mary Boleyn in the pre-Anne days, and later Anne; he used it as a hunting lodge.

The Barons' Hall, with ghost (Gemma).

I love this place.  Built in 1341 and said to be the best preserved example of 14th Century domestic architecture in England.

Actual Cromwellian armour

Julia took this one of me from the back, which I really like 

because I didn't realise my hair was so long!!

Historical Jaunt #1

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A delightful couple of Anne Boleyn-orientated days away with sister Julia and friend Gemma, to commemorate Anne's death on May 19th, 1536.

We stayed in a lovely hotel, The Leicester Arms, in the ridiculously picturesque village of Penshurst in Kent.

'Shamed be he who thinks evil of it' (motto of The Order of the Garter - est. 1348 by Edward III.  Hanging outside the room I slept in on the second night)

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Julia and me in our room :)

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- Hever Castle -

You wouldn't think that Katherine of Aragon would have ever visited the Boleyn castle, but here she is taking a selfie with her portrait.

Ditto Anne, who doesn't look moost happi about Katherine's visit.

At the stairs going up to what is thought to be the bedroom shared by Anne and Mary when they were young.  

Wonder if the Boleyn sisters giggled under the covers and had midnight feasts of marchpane confections and comfits (Julia and I used to have a few pear drops and mint imperials held back from our weekend sweet allowance...)

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Queen Elizabeth's coronation robe (obviously not the original!).  It stands in the room Henry VIII stayed in when he visited the castle - a shame he didn't know what a mighty and much-loved queen his second daughter would become, or he might not have been such a murderous git to Anne.

Part 2 - Hever Castle and Penshurst Place HERE

Part 3 - The Tower of London HERE

A lovely couple of days visiting Hever Castle, Penshurst and Penshurst Place

This week I spent a couple of days staying at the Leicester Arms Hotel in Penshurst, in order to visit Hever Castle (childhood home of Anne Boleyn, later given to Anne of Cleves) and Penshurst Place (where Henry VIII used to stay when he was visiting Mary Boleyn, and possibly Anne, later). I've wanted to visit Hever Castle for years, and both places were so worth the long journey.  The surrounding countryside is so beautiful, and the weather was perfect.

I went with my sister, Julia, and writer friend Gemma Lawrence; if you haven't read her wonderful Tudor and other historical fiction, you really ought to. :)

Hever Castle

In the 'morning room'

Gemma knows more about the Tudor period than anyone I've ever met, so having her company around these places was such a treat, and made it all mean so much more—especially when she pointed out where such and such a scene in one of her books took place.

Probably the bedroom Anne and Mary slept in as children

Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours

The room in which Henry VIII would have stayed when he visited.  Not all of it dates back to this period, but the ceiling is the oldest part; I liked looking up at it and thinking, this is what he would have seen....

The Long Gallery, created in 1506 by Thomas Boleyn

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Elizabeth Woodville

One of my favourite women of history, Margaret Beaufort

Henry before he ate all the pies

 

Henry VII

The Rose Garden

Penshurst 

Where the term 'the dole' comes from. 😉

Penshurst Place

The Baron's Hall, that dates back to 1341.  Totally amazing, none of these rather crappy photos even begin to do it justice.

 The Minstrels Gallery ~ imagine looking down from it, and seeing Anne dancing with Henry....

Anne Boleyn finally deigned to make an appearance :)