Elizabeth I Sixpence

I would like to share with you one of my treasured possessions, a Tudor coin! It is an Elizabeth I sixpence from 1561.  This particular coin is hammered and this process was carried out at the Royal Mint within the Tower of London, commonly refereed to as the Tower Mint.

On the reverse side is the cross crosslet mark and the inscription POSVI DEV ADVITOREM MEVM - 'I have made God my helper'. In the centre is a shield quartered with the arms of England and France.

Sadly the obverse side is worn, but it would have shown a crowned image of the Queen facing left, wearing a ruff with a rose behind her, but you can clearly see the name ELIZABETH.

The fact that the coin is worn is part of its charm. I love to hold it and think about all those people that have held it before me and what they may have procured with it.

In the 16th Century sixpence was the equivalent to a days wages for country labour. It may have been exchanged for ale, bed and board, or even entertainment, such as a performance at the Globe Theatre.

The Old Globe - Wikkicommons

Sixpence would have afforded you one of the most expensive seats at the outdoor theatre built in 1599 by The Lord Chamberlain's Men whose resident playwright was of course, William Shakespeare. The wealthier theatre goers sat in the covered galleries or on the stage itself up close to the action. Then there was the yard or pit where a penny would buy you standing room only. These people were referred to as 'Penny Stinkards'!

Queen Elizabeth is depicted here in this Victorian painting enjoying a performance at The Globe, something that in reality would not have happened. Why go out to watch a play when you can have the theatre brought to you?

V&A Museum S.511-1985  - David Scott 1840

Whatever my coin my have been used for, I am glad it has survived its 450 year journey around England and has now found it's way safely to me to treasure for years to come.

Elizabeth I at Shaw House

I am delighted to share with you a write up of my recent visit to the Elizabeth I exhibition at Shaw House in Berkshire, England. This beautiful Tudor mansion house completed in 1581 has a very special place in my heart as it is where I attended school between the ages of 11-16. There is no doubt that studying, socialising and playing in this historical environment really fuelled my love of The Tudor era and history in general.

Shaw House

The exhibition itself is to highlight the importance of the Queens visit to the mansion while on her summer progress. Not many of the places visited on the 1592 progress have survived, Shaw House is a rare and little known example of a Tudor mansion, that if the people on the royal progress saw it today, they would still recognise it.

Queen Elizabeth I made 23 progresses during her 44 year reign usually in late summer and early autumn. It was a time when the Queen could be seen by her subjects, reward loyal service and give and receive gifts. The progress was not all fun and relaxation. The Privy Council met regularly, one of these important meetings was held at Shaw House, riders regularly brought news from London to the Queen and messages were relayed back to the capital. It was ‘Business as usual’ for the many workers of the court.

The 1592 progress

The Queen and her train set off from Nonsuch Palace Surrey, on 9^th August and travelled through Middlesex, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire ending at Hampton Court 61 days later. It was one of the last major progresses of her reign and one of the longest.

A Royal progress on the move was an impressive site with hundreds of people, horses and carts in one long baggage train. The luggage would have been carried by horse drawn cart which included, jewel chests, furniture, tapestries, clothes, food, beer and other items carried from house to house. We can assume the Queen liked to feel ‘at home’ wherever she went. Elizabeth a keen rider would have ridden some of the time on horseback, but usually in a carriage with the ladies of the court.

An eye witness account from 1592 reported seeing the train leave from Reading Berkshire with at least 300 carts. A fun recreation of what the train may have looked like can be seen here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00tb63c

The progress could only travel slowly due to its sheer size so would often stop for meals at private houses or inns. One such inn the Queen stopped at in 1592 is the Ostrich in Colnbrook which still stands today.

The Queen arrived at Shaw House in Newbury Berkshire in late August. She was welcomed by the prominent Newbury clothier Thomas Dolman and his family who built the house. She stayed for 2 nights in the best room the mansion had to offer. A first floor triple aspect chamber, with its own privy closet. This chamber afforded views on 3 sides of the property, most prominently the front gardens and sweeping lawns down towards the river Lambourn. The room still retains its original wood panelling. 

The Queens Bed Chamber

View the Queen would have seen

I was able to spend some time alone in the room and soak up the atmosphere, it has a lovely homely feel and the huge leaded windows allow the light to flood in. I was hoping for a visitation, but sadly nothing happened! I am sure Elizabeth found it very comfortable with pleasing vistas. Although some servants and ladies were also accommodated in the house, the majority of servants camped in the grounds in specially erected tents and in lodgings in Newbury town itself.

Side Elevation

Entertainments were organised to impress the Queen and these took place at nearby Donnington Castle. An outdoor stage was erected where speeches, dramatic scenes, music and songs were performed. This was an opportunity for the Dolman family to show their wealth to the Queen and their continued support to her. Although this was an extreme honour to be chosen to accommodate the Queen, it was at huge expense and no doubt the family hoped they would be rewarded and recognised by the Queen sometime in future.

Donnington Castle - Chris Collard

 Many hosts along the progress used the opportunity for further advancement. At Bisham Abbey Lady Russell must have entertained the Queen well, for she honoured her 2 daughters by making them maids of honour at her court after the visit.

The famous 1592 progress is remembered in the painting known as ‘The Ditchley Portrait’.

Commissioned by Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley Oxfordshire whom the Queen stayed with in September 1592.

Ditchley Portrait - WikkiCommons

Small ships can be seen bobbing around the South of England, these may refer to the defeated Spanish armada and show the achievements of Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. The Queen has her back to a storm and faces the sun showing that unsettled times are over and England is at peace again. She holds a glove or gauntlet the symbol of a champion and wears white indicative of her unmarried virginal state.

The queen is depicted standing on Oxfordshire, with her feet near to Ditchley the home of her host. But this is a fabrication. The style of the Queens gown would have hidden her feet but the artist has included them to point out the location of the visit, no doubt at the request of his proud commissioner.

Shaw House went on to welcome many more Royal visitors in the years that followed. Not least Charles I who used the house as his Royalist headquarters during the second battle of Newbury. Hand to hand combat was fought in the grounds and the fabric of the house bears some battle scars. A bloody siege was held at nearby Donnington Castle where the Queen had frolicked only years earlier. Three years after the restoration, Charles II and his brother James Duke of York were shown around the grounds in a more peaceful setting where their father had fought.

1581 Mark

Today Shaw House is no longer a private home but an authority owned community facility used for meetings, education and weddings. A multi-million pound project has insured its future for us all to enjoy as the royals did 500 years ago. I feel very lucky to have been a part of its colourful history and have thoroughly enjoyed bringing you this post about an otherwise unknown little place in the Berkshire countryside.

Chateau de Lanquais

 On a recent visit to the Dordogne in South West France, we chanced upon this fairytale chateau, dating from the 14th century. We just followed the signs to the chateau hoping to catch a glimpse, and we were surprised to find it open on a Sunday afternoon.

I'ts an interesting castle in that it is a mix of architectural styles given that it was once a fortified stronghold, which was later in the 16th and 17th centuries expanded into a palace in the renaissance style. You can see clearly from the picture above, the medieval round tower adjoining the later palatial accommodation.
Its checkered past and battle scars can clearly be seen from the front elevation where you can witness the holes in the yellow stone from cannon fire.

For 8 Euro, you can go inside the chateau and view a selection of furnished rooms, with huge fireplaces and interesting collections. Pick up an English guide as you leave Reception to help you on your tour.You will also see the medieval kitchen and displays, and descend to the castle dungeons. Watch out for a waxwork prisoner lurking in one of the cells, I was not ready for him!
Things are not done in the same way in France, and this is no National Trust managed property, but if you are in the area, it's an interesting place to visit off the normal Dordogne tourist trail.

We stayed at nearby Chateau les Merles.

Chateau de Bannes

Located in the Dordogne, South West France, Chateau de Bannes is another one of those Disney like castles that springs out from the hillside as you drive around a corner. But this castle is the real thing!

Unfortunately on the day we were driving through the area the Chateau was closed, but just to view it from the hillside was well worth it. The chateau lies on the site of a previous fortress, the construction you see today was finished in 1520 although of the old remains are still visible.
Next time we visit I will be sure to take a tour inside and bring you some more information. Until then I will just keep looking at the photos with a glass of wine dreaming of fairy-tales.

Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall is a house I have wanted to visit since I was a young girl. Its vast height, huge windows and grand appearance have always intrigued me, and I was not disappointed. At the time of the visit I was reading Mary S Lovell's Bess of Hardwick which made the trip even more interesting as I could see the house and its contents come to life.

Bess of Hardwick was a well known lady at the Tudor Court and remained friends with Elizabeth I for over 40 years. She was also close friends with the Grey sisters, Mary, Katherine, and of course Jane. After Jane’s execution Bess kept a portrait of her on a table beside her bed for the remainder of her life. She reached the grand old age of  80, almost unheard of for the time.

Bess and her 4th husband the Earl of Shrewsbury had the uncomfortable task of guarding Mary Queen of Scots for many years during her imprisonment, but that is another story.

Bess ordered the construction of the hall in the 1590's.  She was obsessed with building, and Hardwick has to be her greatest temple, with Chatsworth a close second. If Chatsworth was the comfortable home, then Hardwick was the entertaining house! With six great towers and a' High Great Chamber' reputed to be the most beautiful in Europe. A fabulous entertaining venue fit for a Queen.

The High Great Chamber

The muslin curtains were drawn on the huge windows on the day I visited to keep out the damp. The dim light in the house along with accompanying chamber music being piped into the rooms made for a wonderful atmosphere. The house is impressive throughout with grand rooms that are more and more breathtaking as you ascend the huge stone staircase and rise to the top of the house to the Long Gallery. A staggering 51 metres long, and 8 metres high, a real jaw dropper for me!

The Long Gallery

 Hardwick has been largely unaltered so it is easy to be transported back in time to the wonderful Tudor age. The house was built with royalty in mind, in the hope that Bess could entertain and impress her friend Elizabeth the Queen, and also that the house would be fitting for her Granddaughter, Arbella Stuart, who Bess hoped in time would claim her right to the English throne. Sadly for Bess neither of these dreams were realised, but thank heaven for her building projects, still inspiring us 400 years later.

Sadly the weather was dreadful on the day I visited so no outdoors shots, but do take a look on the net, its well worth it.

 If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Derbyshire one day Hardwick Hall is a must see for all Tudor fans, and Haddon Hall is only a short car journey away for double the fun!

Haddon Hall

Visiting Haddon Hall is the closest thing you can get to going back in a time machine. It is one of the most unaltered houses to survive from the medieval age. This is due to the fact it lay dormant for over 200 years. This has been the Halls saviour, it's decoration and contents remain largely the same. Saved from the fashions of the Georgians and Victorians!

Haddon Hall is a fortified medieval manor house dating from the 12th Century, and is the home of Lord and Lady Edward Manners whose family have owned it since 1567.

I visited on a lovely sunny day and the house was bathed in sunlight throughout. This highlighted the wooden paneling, giving the rooms a haze with shafts of light bursting through the diamond shaped panes of the windows.

It is because of the authenticity of the house that you get such a sense of how life used to be walking around the Hall. The rooms felt so atmospheric to me, and surprisingly homely.

Now, an Anne Boleyn connection! Margaret Coffin sometimes referred to as Mrs Cosyns had close connections with the Hall. She was Anne's bedfellow (and Cromwell's spy) when Anne was imprisoned in the Tower, we can presume from this that Anne did not consider her a great friend. Anne is said to have complained to Sir William Kingston stating,

“I thynke [much unkindness in the] Kynge to put seche abowt me as I never loved.”

It was with this in mind I knew Anne would have been discussed many times within the rooms of the hall, not just for her marriage, but also her untimely end.

There is much to see at Haddon including, the finest example of a Tudor Kitchen, and a beautiful chapel with early 15th century frescoes. All set within the rolling hills of the Peak District. The Hall also featured in the film The Other Boleyn Girl, and Jane Eyre.

We were lucky enough to stay at The Peacock Hotel another beautiful old building which is believed to be the dower house of the Hall. Staying in such close proximity was wonderful and it made the trip even more special. I would definitely recommend it for a weekend break.

Sudeley Castle Visit

This year Sudeley Castle is celebrating the life of Queen Kateryn Parr with a series of special events and exhibitions to mark the 500 years since the birth of this remarkable woman.

Katherine Parr is best known for being Henry VIII’s surviving queen, but through the exhibitions on show we can find out more about the life and loves of Katherine and her time at Sudeley. I was surprised to learn that KP stood 6 feet tall, almost unheard of in Tudor times, it is no wonder she caught Henrys eye at court, towering above the other ladies. Katherine was also a published author and you can view original copies of her works on display for the first time. In KP’s book of lamentations you can see she has signed her name, Kateryn the Queen KP.

Also on display are love letters written to Thomas Seymour and items taken from her tomb when it was opened in 1782 which include a lock of auburn hair and a tooth! (In very good condition I might add) The exhibition ends with a short film by Dr David Starkey where we learn more about Katherine and her time at Sudeley and why she felt compelled to marry Henry when she was in love with Thomas.

Book belonging to KP signed bottom right

The next part of the KP trail takes you to the South Hall and Katherine’s private rooms which are open to the public for the first time in 5 years. If like me you like to soak up the atmosphere of an historic place and imagine the conversations that have taken place within the walls then you will enjoy this experience the most. You ascend a staircase to the only remaining rooms from the original castle that KP lived in. (No photography sadly as my partner found out when he took a snap then was fiercely reprimanded by the guide!). There is a beautiful closet with a stained glass window allowing light to flood in giving the room a very happy feel. The idyllic views across the garden as Katherine would have seen them, lead on to her private chapel in the church of St Mary. In the window stands a mannequin of Lady Ann Herbert, KP’s sister who was her groom of the stool, who according to the display, assisted KP with the very important job of wiping her bottom!

As you descend the staircase you are invited to exit the castle through the very door that KP would have used to make the short walk to her private chapel to carry out her daily devotions. An added moment of excitement ensues when you are told that the door has remained until now unopened since Tudor times. Now you can make your way to the church for the most poignant part of the trail.

The Tudor door

Inside the church of St Mary’s alongside KP’s tomb, you will see a peaceful KP lying in state surrounded by candles. She is being watched over by her young chief mourner, Lady Jane Grey. I found this moment quite haunting and a fitting end to the trail.

KP lying in state with Jane Grey mourning

 There are more special events planned for this year including talks with Dr David Starkey and Alison Weir, and also a re-enactment of Queen Katherine’s funeral.

The exhibitions are on a small scale, but I found them to be intimate, atmospheric and engaging. I left feeling closer to Katherine, and I will certainly now give her as much thought as I do all my other favourite Tudor people.

This post can also be viewed at the brilliant website www.onthetudortrail.com