Category: Picture of the Week

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shottery, near Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

In honor of the marriage of Anne Hathaway’s marriage to William Shakespeare in November 1582, I’ll be featuring her family’s famous cottage this month.

Henry VIII’s arms outside the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace. Photo May 2015.

The arms on the other side of the door that honor Jane Seymour can be seen in Picture of the Week #352

The King’s Beasts along the entrance to the Great Gatehouse at Hampton Court Palace. Photo May 2015.

Portrait of Edward VI, attributed to William Scots c. 1550, hanging at Hampton Court Palace. Photo May 2015.

I haven’t done a whole lot of portraits as Pictures of the Week yet, but I got a number of decent photos of paintings at Hampton Court Palace last year so I’m going to start using some going forward. This one is of the birthday boy, Edward VI, born 479 years ago today!

Wine Fountain and Hampton Court Palace. Photo May 2015.

For October I’ll be featuring Hampton Court Palace in honor of the birth of Edward VI and the death of Jane Seymour. The wine fountain was one of several things that had changed since my visits in 1998 and 2000 which gave me a lot of new things to take pictures of (and boy did I take a lot of photos there last year…).

Passageway at Hall’s Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

I’m a sucker for all the wooden interiors of these old houses so I’m glad to see a very modern fire extinguisher at the end of the hallway to protect them!

Dining room at Hall’s Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

Gardens at Hall’s Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

If I remember correctly, this part of the gardens is where they grow some of the medicinal herbs that would have been used by Dr. John Hall (Susannah Shakespeare’s husband).

Entrance to Hall’s Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

This month we’re going back to Stratford and featuring Hall’s Croft, one of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust properties. Since this property is set a little away from the busiest tourist area of the town, it’s a little quieter and for that reason alone worth seeking out! But it’s also a great place to visit, with period furniture throughout and a lovely back garden.

Hall’s Croft was the first home of Shakespeare’s daughter Susannah and her husband Dr. John Hall after they were married, but they later moved to New Place after her father’s death.

On the Bosworth Battlefield trail. Photo May 2015.

The Battlefield in 1485. Photo May 2015.

The text on the sign reads:

The Battlefield in 1485

The trees in the modern landscape make the lie of the land quite hard to see. The medieval landscape was more or less devoid of trees as a system of open field farming prevailed. This method was widespread and created a rather barren landscape. From this point in 1485 you would be able to see Dadlington windmill and most of Norfolk’s army throughout the battle. You would also be able to hear the roar of the guns and the screams of the dying.

Display of the ‘Crown in the Hawthorn Bush’ story from the end of the battle, at the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre.

Legend has it that Lord Stanley found the circlet that Richard III had worn into battle in a hawthorn bush and presented it to Henry at the end of the battle.

The Bosworth Boar, on display at the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre. Photo May 2015.

Inscription on the Bosworth Battlefield memorial sundial. Photo May 2015.

On to August and a new theme for this month’s pictures – the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park, in honor of the anniversary of the battle on August 22nd.

Leicester’s Gatehouse at Kenilworth Castle. Photo May 2015.

Leicester’s Building at Kenilworth Castle. Photo 2015.

These buildings were built by Robert Dudley for Elizabeth I’s use on a couple of her visits, including the famous 1575 stay at the castle. The scaffolding that allows visitors to go up into the structure was completed by the time of my visit last year so I was able to take advantage of the new views!

Elizabethan gardens at Kenilworth Castle. Photo May 2015.

Wow, 400 Pictures of the Week! And there are still many, many more to go after last year’s trip.

Kenilworth Castle. Photo May 2015.

New month, new theme! This time we’re going to Kenilworth Castle in honor of the famous visit by Elizabeth I in July 1575. I visited Kenilworth on my whirlwind trip in 1998 when I tried to squeeze so many things in because it was my first visit to Britain. I spent a few hours there and took a pathetic 6 or 7 photos. So, when I was planning last year’s trip, I decided to go back and plan to spend a lot more time there and, thanks to digital photography, take A LOT more photos. When I went in to get my entry ticket, the guy (hearing my American accent) said something to the effect of “I’m guessing you haven’t been here before?” and I got to see the surprised look on his face when I said “actually, yes I have!” But, it was 17 years previous, the stables were mostly closed for renovation, Dudley’s gatehouse was completely closed because of restoration work, the new Elizabethan gardens weren’t there, and the viewing platforms in Leicester’s Building weren’t even a glimmer in someone’s eye (as far as I know). So this visit was almost like visiting it again for the first time!

Interior of St. Mary’s Church, Bury St Edmunds. Photo May 2015.

This is roughly the opposite view of Picture of the Week #348

The Grave of Mary Tudor, Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk in St. Mary’s Church, Bury St. Edmunds. Photo May 2015.