Scrumpdillyicious: November 2024

Located in the heart of the Cotswolds, Sudeley Castle and Gardens have played an important role in England's history for over 1000 years. It remains the only private castle to have a queen buried within the grounds, Queen Katherine Parr, the last and surviving wife of King Henry VIII, who lived and died at Sudeley and buried in St. Mary's Church on the castle grounds. Henry himself, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Queen Elizabeth I and Richard III have all played a part in Sudeley’s story. On ascending the throne in 1509, Sudeley became one of Henry VIII's royal residences, but after his death in 1547, Edward VI granted Sudeley Castle to his uncle, vain, handsome and ambitious Sir Thomas Seymour. Seymour was made Lord of Sudeley and married Henry VIII's widow, Katherine Parr. As the daughter of Henry VIII, Elizabeth was welcomed to their home at Sudeley Castle, when her stepmother married Thomas Seymour.

Thomas’s marriage to Katherine brought him into close contact with Elizabeth who was blossoming into an attractive young woman. Seymour began making advances towards the princess and the ensuing scandal thrust Elizabeth abruptly into the harsh adult world. When Katherine died in 1548, shortly after giving birth, Seymour decided he could further his political ambitions by marrying Elizabeth and seizing control of the King. He was arrested in January 1549 and executed for treason by his brother, the Lord Protector, in March 1549. Elizabeth was interrogated about her part in the plans but skillfully denied the charges of treason and was eventually exonerated.

King Charles I found refuge at Sudeley Castle during the Civil War, when his nephew Prince Rupert established headquarters at the Castle, but when Oliver Cromwell and his Parliamentary troops attacked and destroyed the castle at the end of the Civil War, Sudeley lay neglected and derelict for nearly 200 years. Then in 1837, Sudeley was rescued by the wealthy Worcester glove-makers, brothers John and William Dent, who began an ambitious restoration programme, which was continued by their nephew, John Coucher Dent, when he inherited the castle in 1855. His wife, Emma Brocklehurst, threw herself enthusiastically into Sudeley’s restoration, at the same time forging strong links with the nearby town of Winchcombe. It is the results of Emma’s dedication that are so evident in the gardens and exhibitions at Sudeley today.

The Castle and Gardens are now the home of Lady Elizabeth Ashcombe, her son, daughter and their families, who are committed to the continued preservation of the castle, its treasures and the ongoing restoration and regeneration of the gardens. Having visited Sudeley Castle as a young girl on a school trip with my school when we lived in Buckinghamshire in the early 70's, it was truly a trip down 'Memory Lane' and a very special day indeed.

Pathway to the Tithe Barn ruins

One of the remaining original Sudeley buildings, the Tithe Barn dates back to the 15th Century

and was used storing rents and tithes from farmers required to give one-tenth of their produce

Queen Elizabeth I visited Sudeley Castle, the most famous visit being an epic three-day

party, one of the largest and most expensive in British history, to celebrate the

4th anniversary of the defeat of the Spanish Armada

Life-sized elephant sculptures form a unique trail weaving through the gardens

as part of an environmental art campaign, CoExistence, which highlights the loss of biodiversity

caused as humans encroach on wild spaces across the globe

The Moorish Knot Garden was created by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall in 1995,

fashioned after a traditional Tudor Knot Garden

Ruins of the Richard III's Great Banqueting Hall

Sudeley Castle was the base for Richard III during the War of the Roses,

but who died at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485

The ruins of the 15th-century Banquet Hall are sometimes brought back to life with

chandeliers and extravagant floral displays for weddings

Sudeley lay neglected and derelict for nearly 200 years before its purchase in 1837 by glovemakers John and William Dent, who used their wealth to fund a significant restoration programme

13th-century stones from the oldest area of Sudeley Castle were a decorative device

on churches, but after the dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1536,

stones such as these are enormously rare

15th-century St. Mary's Church where Queen Katherine Parr is entombed

The last of Henry VIII's six wives, Catharine Parr lived and died at Sudeley,

where she still remains today entombed in the beautiful 15th-cenury church on the castle grounds

Marble tomb of Katherine Parr who was the last of King Henry VIII’s eight wives

The Becket Window depicts the murder of Thomas Becket.

Ralph de Sudeley was the owner of the castle at the time and it is believed his brother,

William was one of the Knights responsible for the murder

A 'Cresset Stone' was flat stone with cup shaped hollows being used to hold a quantity of tallow and wick, which were burned to produce light in Medieval times