Places To Visit

HAMPTON COURT PALACE
Surrey, England

This magnificent Tudor palace, built by Cardinal Wolsey and modified by King Henry VIII, is a must-see for all Tudor history enthusiasts. The Tudor monarchs spent a lot of time here and it was here that Queen Elizabeth I fell ill of small pox in 1562.

Website: Hampton Court Palace

HATFIELD HOUSE
Hertfordshire, England

Hatfield palace was where Queen Elizabeth spent much of her childhood. Most of the Tudor palace was demolished in the early seventeenth century but the great hall where she held her first Council of State still survives. According to legend, Elizabeth was sitting beneath an oak tree in the grounds when she received the news that she was now queen. The spot is marked by a new oak tree that was planted in memory of the occasion by Queen Elizabeth II. On display inside the 'new' Jacobean House are Elizabeth's hat, gloves, and stockings. Also on display are the famous Rainbow and Ermine portraits of the Queen, as well as portraits of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, and his son, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, and the horse Elizabeth reputedly rode at Tilbury during the Spanish Armada invasion.

Website: Hatfield House

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
London, England

The National Portrait Gallery has many Tudor portraits on display, including portraits of Queen Elizabeth and King Henry VIII. There are several eateries at the gallery and a shop.

Website: National Portrait Gallery

THE TOWER OF LONDON
London, England

Although officially a royal residence in the Tudor period, the Tower was used primarily as a prison. Traitors were usually kept here. Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's mother, was executed on Tower Green in 1536, and Elizabeth was kept a prisoner here for several weeks during the troubled reign of her half-sister, Queen Mary I.

Website: Tower of London

WINDSOR CASTLE
Berkshire, England

Windsor Castle has been a royal residence for a thousand years. This was one of Elizabeth's main residences and she made additions to the castle in the 1580s.

Website: Windsor Castle

WESTMINSTER ABBEY
London, England

This magnificent abbey was where Elizabeth I was crowned in the January of 1559 and where she was buried in the April of 1603. Mary, Queen of Scots, is also buried here, as is Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty.

Website: Westminster Abbey

More places to visit in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland can be found at:

The National Trust
Cadw (Wales)
Heritage Ireland
The National Trust Scotland
English Heritage
Historic Houses
Historic England
Heritage Gateway