What do Henry VIII and Liz Hurley have in Common?

Sudeley Castle

by Marilyn Loeser

In the heart of the Cotswolds is Winchcombe, a quiet village of centuries-old stone houses and narrow flower-lined streets. The Romans, Vikings, Anglo-Saxon tribes and Benedictine Monks all called this part of England home before the 9th-century AD.

Visitors today can enjoy shopping along the main thoroughfare or a meal at one of the many pubs. Tourists also flock to Winchcombe to explore its best known landmark — Sudeley Castle, dating to before 1066.

A brief history

No matter your understanding of English history, you’ll recognize many of the names associated with the castle: Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn and sixth wife Catherine Parr, who is buried here.

When Henry VIII died, the castle became the property of his son, Edward VI of England, who gave it to his uncle, Thomas Seymour. Seymour later married Henry’s widow Catherine Parr.

Catherine died here after she gave birth to a daughter, Mary. She is buried in St. Mary's Church on the castle grounds.

In 1554 Mary I of England gave Sudeley Castle to John Brydges, 1st Baron Chandos and it remained his property throughout the reign of Elizabeth I of England. Elizabeth was entertained three times at Sudeley Castle.

The current owners are Elizabeth, Lady Ashcombe, wife of Henry Edward Cubitt, 4th Baron Ashcombe, who owns 50 percent of the equity, and her two children who each own 25 percent.

Liz Hurley’s contemporary connection with the castle is it was the setting of her 2007 marriage to Arun Nayar.

Touring the castle

Guided tours of the castle’s interior are offered three days a week during the summer, and the castle gardens and church are open from April through October.

The day I visited the castle wasn’t open for tours, but with my friends Gill and Clive Shaw, we explored the gardens and castle ruins — an afternoon among the flowers, hedges and artwork of the ages.

The gardens have grown for more than 300 years around the ruins of the old castle and walls of an old tithe barn. Roses and clematis climb ancient walls and thrive in formal gardens.

It’s like walking into your favorite period movie — along paths and flower beds overflowing with every color of the rainbow.

We strolled past the tithe barn and carp pond, now the backdrop of an unusual helicopter-rotor-looking piece of art. It was in 2006 an exhibition of modern art became part of the castle’s permanent displays. Castle literature explains: “Installing contemporary art in historically charged spaces, we seek to challenge dominant interpretations of the castle, mansion and garden.”

The exhibit will change as selected artists are invited to interpret their ideas and imagination in eye-catching exhibitions.

Following our map, we walked toward the castle and the one area of the castle garden-tour guests can enter.

As with the contemporary art,
Sudeley Castle has other special exhibits.

Letters from Khartoum chronicles the letters sent through enemy lines to General Gordon in the besieged city of Khartoum in 1884 and 1885. Displayed in a desert setting, the exhibit includes an interesting range of Gordon memorabilia from Sudeley archives, the Royal Engineers Museum, the Macclesfield Silk Museums, members of the Melik Society and Blair Castle.

Another popular exhibit is Six Wives at Sudeley.

The exhibition includes the original Tudor costumes associated with David Starkey’s TV series The Six Wives of Henry VIII and commemorates Sudeley Castle’s royal connections with the King and his six wives.

Another excellent exhibit is Threads of Time.

On display are examples of textile techniques spanning 400 years delicate lace, costumes and furnishings to silk wall hangings and woven tapestry.

Back outside, we visited the elaborate knot garden, the massive yew hedges and my favorite, the Secret Garden.

We also entered St. Mary’s Church where Queen Catherine Parr is laid to rest.

History, gardens and nearby Winchcombe make Sudeley Castle the perfect English destination for a day of exploration or a weekend stay.

If you go:

For an excellent preview of the castle and gardens, watch the BBC television adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse's novel Heavy Weather which was filmed here.

For more information:
Sudeley Castle: http://www.sudeleycastle.co.uk/ or http://gardens.sudeleycastle.co.uk.
Winchcombe: http://www.winchcombe.co.uk.

The Great British Heritage Pass: www.gbheritagepass.com.
The Great British Heritage Pass is your best bet if you plan to visit several historic attractions. The pass allows entry into nearly 600 attractions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Sudeley Castle.

Traveling by train: http://www.britrail.net
Winchcombe is eight miles northeast of Cheltenham, the closest train station. The BritRail website highlights maps and special price-saving passes. Passes are the most convenient — one ticket is good on more than 18,000 daily train departures in England, Scotland and Wales — and economical because they can be purchased for different increments of time.