It’s wonderful to visit historic places linked to Anne Boleyn, but I know from experience that there’s nothing quite like actually staying in one and it is possible to do.
Here are my top three picks for accommodation linked to Anne Boleyn.
Have you stayed in one? Do share your experience in the comments section below…
1 – Hever Castle
Hever Castle was the Boleyn family home and although you can’t stay in the castle itself Hever offer accommodation in the “Tudor Village”, which was joined on to the castle by Lord Astor. There are 18 luxury rooms in the Astor Wing for bed and breakfast accommodation or you can hire Medley Court, a 4 bedroom 5 star holiday cottage. I’ve stayed in the Astor Wing and it was an amazing feeling to open the curtains and see the castle there in front of me.
See http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/holiday-lets-kent.aspx for more information.
You can read more about the history of Hever Castle in my article “Hever Castle”. Don’t forget to visit St Peter’s Church, Hever, while you’re there so that you can see Thomas Boleyn’s tomb with its beautiful memorial brass.
2 – Thornbury Castle
Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire dates back to 1510 when Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, was granted a licence allowing him to build a crenellate a house he was building on the site of an old manor house. He never completed the project because he was executed for treason in 1521 and Thornbury was confiscated by the Crown. The castle, which is actually more of a Tudor country home, was visited by Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII on their 1535 progress and the couple stayed there from 14th August to 22nd August.
The castle is now a luxury hotel and you can even book the room Anne and Henry stayed in, the Duke’s Bedchamber! My friend, Nancy Smith, stayed at Thornbury Castle in 2011 and wrote an article about her stay – “My Tudor Idyll at Thornbury Castle”.
See http://www.thornburycastle.co.uk/ for more information on the accommodation.
3 – Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace started off as a manor that was acquired as a grange by the Knights Hospitallers of St John Jerusalem in the 13th century. This religious order eventually rented out the property and land, and Cardinal Thomas Wolsey obtained it on a 99 year lease in 1514 and began transforming it from a private house into a huge palace complex fit for a king. Wolsey built the palace to impress the whole of Europe and it was a wonderful fusion of Catholic iconography and Renaissance art and architecture, with an incredible “long gallery” which made use of terracotta.
The palace was so luxurious and “fit for a king” that when Cardinal Wolsey fell from grace in 1528, he lost both his properties at York Place and Hampton Court to Henry VIII. Henry and Anne Boleyn then set about implementing a programme of extension and improvement to get Hampton Court Palace just as they wanted it. You can read more about the palace in my article “Hampton Court Palace”.
Hampton Court Palace has self-catering apartments available to rent. They sleep up to six people and are situated in Fish Court, the service wing of the old Tudor palace. See http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/planyourvisit/accommodationinthepalace.
You can find out more about Anne Boleyn places on the Anne Boleyn Places page – click here – and by buying a copy of the book “In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn” by Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger.
Awesome, i’ve been to two out of three! 😀
Wonderful! Have been to two out of three of them and now volunteer at Hampton Court. Absolutely love it. Such a sense of awe when I saw the palace from a distance for the first time.
I would love to stay at any of these places! Where do I sign?
How wonderful! I’d love to stay in all of them one day.
Oh how I would love to stay at any one of these incredible places! Maybe one day.
I lived close to Hampton Court for over a year and only went once to se a medeaval fiar on Hampton Court Green.. I wish I’d actually gone there more often…
I stayed at Thornbury and it was magical. You truly get a sense of being where the Tudors walked, ate, loved, and all of the other parts of being alive!! I truly want to go to Hever, and I didn’t know you could actually stay at Hampton Court, so that has now shot way up to the top of my list!! (I DO have your book, Natalie, but am just short of getting to the part on Hampton Court! 🙂 ) Thanks for letting us know!!
I would love to stay at Hampton Court.Sounds amazing!!!
Just stayed at the Astor wing in the Tulip and primrose rooms for my photography project The Tudors through the lens. What an amazing place and so atmospheric. Amazing dawn walk through the gardens and grounds so lovely to gave the Cadtle to ourselves. Next on to Thornbury!
I have stayed at Hever 5 times – in 2009 for the psychic event with Johnnie Fiore, in 2010 for the Anne Boleyn Experience 2010, in 2011 for the Executed Queens tour, in 2012 for the Anne Boleyn Experience 2012, and on Halloween 2013 for the psychic event with Dr. Cieran O’Keefe . I’ve also stayed at Thornbury Castle twice, in October 2011, on which my article “My Tudor Idyll at Thornbury Castle” was based and again in October 2012, since I enjoyed Thornbury so much the previous year. Unfortunately I’ve never had the opportunity to stay in the room that Henry and Anne stayed in during their 1535 stay. I’ve never had the opportunity to stay at Hampton Court – the apartments sleep between 6 and 8 people, and since I usually travel alone it wouldn’t be cost effective to rent an entire apartment for just me. However, if Claire hosts another “Anne Boleyn Experience” or other Tudor-themed tour in the future, I’m hoping that maybe I will be able to recruit several members of the tour to go in with me to rent one of the Hampton Court apartments – preferably the apartment in Fish Court which sleeps 6 people and is in the Tudor part of the palace, near the Tudor kitchens. There is a second apartment, the Georgian House, which sleeps 8 but is not located in the Tudor part. I’m looking forward to staying at both Hever and Thornbury again in the not too distant future.
I’ve had my eye on Fish Court for some time, but this year is fully booked except for a couple of dates, and it will no longer be offered after December 2014.
That’s a shame Marilyn, any idea why.
Staying at Thornbury Castle in “Anne’s room” this September,. Can’t wait! A splurge – but worth it, I will also be visiting Hever for the first time.
You will love Hever Castle, the castle is beautiful, and the gardens are beautiful. We will be visiting Hever this April for our 3rd visit and I am also very excited. Enjoy your visit to Hever, and like me, take lots of pictures. Enjoy!
My daughter and I stayed in Fish Court at Hampton Court Palace first time in 2008, 2011 and now we are returning for a 3rd visit this April with my family. I love Tudor history and so does my younger daughter, I can only say it is by far the best vacation experience ever, so many things to do and see and new knowledge of Tudor history. The staff at Hampton Court Palace is very friendly and helpful. When all the tourists and staff go home at 5pm the Palace and grounds become yours, and you can walk around and let your mind wander. To book the stay you really should plan and book your stay about 1 year in advance, and if you can’t go at your scheduled time , let the booking office know so you can reschedule. I highly recommend staying at Hampton Court Palace. While in England we also visit Hever Castle, Tower of London, Windsor castle where Henry VIII and Jane Seymour are buried. Being from Chicago it’s so wonderful to see the places you only read about in books and to actually stay and live at a real historic Palace, well that is special.
Have you any idea why Fish Court will no longer be available after 2014?
I was not aware of that. I will find out and let you know after we come back. I hope that is not true though.
This is from the website
http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/fish-court-7006
‘Staying at Fish Court gives privileged access during public opening hours to all of the public areas, and to the courtyards and gardens of this magnificent palace.
Please note that there will be no more bookings available at Fish Court after the end of 2014.’
Hope you have a lovely time.
Marilyn
Having been to Hampton Court it is my favourite place and I love the place. But I must admit that I would love to stay at Thornbury Place, it looke beautiful and in an ideal setting and you can stay in the room that Henry and Anne stayed at. Well Suzanna Lipscomb looked as if she was enjoying the experience of staying in that room and it looked like a lovely large room as well. Mind you if channel 5 are paying, it is easy to spend the night at an upmarket hotel, but I would do it just once for one or two nights, just for the experience and the hell of it! Yes Thornbury would do, perhaps on our next trip down to London or to the south, a night or two on the way and another on the way home.