Issue 18

The Dissolution of the Monasteries was the most significant land redistribution in English history, a four-year period of extraordinary upheaval that redefined the spiritual and economic fabric of the realm. Dr Emma J. Wells highlights the causes of the Dissolution and its wide-ranging impacts on Tudor society and the built environment.

Lady Margaret Beaufort had a network of connections with prominent figures and places in Stamford, the market town close to her palace at Collyweston and near the Lincolnshire properties she inherited from her mother, Margaret Beauchamp. Dr Rachel Delman examines these relationships, including her support of the town's two anchoresses, and their links to places within Stamford.

Henry VII overcame one of the strongest threats to his newly-won crown on 16 June 1487 when his forces defeated the rebel army led by John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, and Francis, Viscount Lovell on behalf of the pretender, Lambert Simnel, at the Battle of Stoke. Julian Humphrys visits the Nottinghamshire site of what would be the last battle of the Wars of the Roses.

From abbot's house to headquarters for the Council of the North, temporary palace to School for the Blind and, most recently, university campus, the King's Manor in York has had many, varied uses over the centuries. Dr Emma J. Wells delves into the fascinating history of this distinctly Tudor building.

Elsyng was originally built by Sir Thomas Lovell, favoured courtier of Henry VII and of Henry VIII, both of whom visited it regularly. Situated to the north of London and away from the city and the court, Elsyng became a residence for Henry VIII's children. Dr Elizabeth Norton explores another of Henry VIII's long-lost palaces.

Sarah, The Tudor Travel Guide, leads us on another adventure through time as we explore one of England's less visited historical gems - Tudor Norwich. Often overlooked in favour of more well-trodden Tudor haunts, Norwich is bursting with stories, secrets, and splendid architecture that transport you straight back to the sixteenth century.