– Dressing the Tudor Court –
by Lisa Allen | Hever Castle & Gardens | February 7, 2025
Fashion at the Tudor Court was all about wealth and status. Members of the English Court wore clothing to signify position and influence through fabrics and colours. Historical costumes were made with luxurious cloths and ladies’ clothes would have been ornate and weighty, which defined their status. Henry VIII portrayed his grandeur though wearing lush gold silks and broad shoulders. Tudor fashion was very important and suntry laws defined what you could wear according to your status down to cloth and colour.
Discover the opulence of the Tudor court this year at Hever Castle (from 12 February to 2 November 2025) with a unique display of historically accurate costumes from the acclaimed TV drama of Hilary Mantel’s final novel Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, telling the story of the Tudor Court from Thomas Cromwell’s perspective.
The costumes, on loan from BAFTA award-winning company Angels, the world’s largest supplier of costumes and accessories for TV, film and theatre, will be on display inside the Castle with images from the TV series alongside portraits from the Tudor period allowing visitors to compare to what Anne Boleyn and her family might have worn in real life.
Hever Castle has one of the largest collections of Tudor portraits in England. Henry’s costume (worn by Damian Lewis in Wolf Hall) is on display next to a Holbein study in the Inner Hall. In the Long Gallery view four more costumes from the TV series; Thomas Cromwell played by Mark Rylance, Jane Seymour played by Kate Phillips, Anne of Cleves played by Dana Herfurth, and Princess Mary played by Lilet Lesser.
Delve into the Tudor history depicted in the series and discover clues into the social customs of courtly life by seeing the fashions of the time. Embrace a truly visual and sensory experience exploring the newly-opened Boleyn Apartment inside the historic Castle.
View the costumes of Wolf Hall on display at Hever Castle & Gardens from 12 February to 2 November 2025 (Castle ticket required).
Source: Hever Castle & Gardens
Best Tudor Experiences in Britain
by Abigail Whyte | CountryFile | February 7, 2025
Unearth six of the best Tudor experiences in Britain, from walking among the yew pyramids of Athlehampton in Dorset to sampling 500-year-old recipes at Merchant’s House in Pembrokeshire.
Athelhampton, Dorset
The Great Hall of this 15th-century manor is pure Tudor sumptuousness, with its fine tapestries, heraldic stained glass and roaring fire in the hearth. But Athelhampton’s crowning glory has to be the 20 acres of gardens, featuring a court of yew pyramids. Take an amble alongside the delightfully named River Piddle as it winds through the grounds.
Barley Hall, Yorkshire
Barley Hall lay hidden under an office block until the 1980s and has since been rebuilt to reflect its 14th- and 15th-century origins. Learn about the hall’s former residents, which includes a former Mayor of York, discover how residents would have lived during the medieval period. A busy events calendar includes pottery sessions, rum tasting and more.
Speke Hall, Liverpool
The devout Catholic Norris family built this imposing mansion during an era of turbulence, so included a number of security features. Among them, a priest hole, where visiting clerics hid from the authorities. There is also an eavesdropper – a hole under the eaves for servants to listen to the conversations of visitors at the front door. Find out more about the National Trust property here.
Hever Castle, Kent
Hever Castle echoes childhood doodles of a dream castle – it has crenellated towers and not just one moat, but two. It was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, doomed second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I. To enter her bedroom and see her treasured prayer book is to feel a step closer to this enigmatic woman.
Fans of the acclaimed Tudor TV drama Wolf Hall should pay a visit between 12 February–2 November 2025, as five opulent costumes from the latest series will be on display. Images from the series will be displayed alongside portraits from Hever Castle’s collection, helping to bring these figures from the past to life.
Tudor Merchant’s House, Tenby
Tenby was a busy port in the 15th century, and its streets bustled with trade. Tudor Merchant’s House reflects this commercial era, when a merchant did indeed live here. Visitors can walk through the house and kitchen gardens, gaze out with some of the clearest views of the harbour, and try on replica Tudor clothes in the bedchamber.
Cotehele, Cornwall
The gardens of Cotehele House descend the deep valley down to the River Tamar, and feature a medieval stew pond, dovecote and an array of exotic plants. You’ll also find the Chapel in the Woods, built by Sir Richard Edgecumbe on the very spot he escaped death during his rebellion against Richard III.
Read the rest of the original article at CountryFile