Category: Picture of the Week

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.

Plaques on the wall next to Mary Tudor’s grave in St. Mary’s Church, Bury St. Edmunds. Photo May 2015.

The Mary Tudor Window, St. Mary’s Church, Bury St. Edmunds. Photo May 2015.

This window was presented to the church in 1881 by Queen Victoria.

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

Moving away from Shakespeare themes for the moment – this month I’m featuring the burial place of Mary Tudor, Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk, who died June 25, 1533.

Shakespeare monument in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

Shakespeare family graves at the foot of the chancel of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

Grave of Anne Hathaway Shakespeare, Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

The Grave of William Shakespeare, Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

Next in the Shakespeare-themed months for the Picture of the Week is Holy Trinity Church, where several members of the Shakespeare family are buried as we’ll see over the next few weeks.

Bust of Shakespeare at his birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

Bedroom in Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.

The back view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.