Sudeley Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sudeley Castle |
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| Winchcombe, Gloucestershire in England | |
 Aerial view of Sudeley Castle
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| Coordinates | 51°56′50″N 1°57′22″W / 51.94722°N 1.95611°W |
| Type | Visitor Attraction, Wedding Venue and Private Residence |
| Area | 1,200 acres |
| Site information | |
| Owner |
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| Open to the public |
Seasonally |
| Status | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1443 on the site of a previous fortified manor house |
| Built by |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name | Sudeley Castle |
| Designated | 4 July 1960 |
| Reference no. | 1154791 |
| Official name | Sudeley Castle |
| Designated | 28 February 1986 |
| Reference no. | 1000784 |
| Battles/wars |
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Sudeley Castle is a very old castle in Gloucestershire, England. It is located near the town of Winchcombe in the beautiful Cotswolds hills. The castle has 10 amazing gardens that cover about 15 acres. The entire estate is huge, stretching over 1,200 acres.
Building the castle started in 1443 for Ralph Boteler, who was an important person in England's government. It was built on the site of an even older fortified house from the 1100s. Later, kings took over the castle. King Edward IV and King Richard III owned it, and Richard III built its famous banqueting hall.
King Henry VIII and his wife Anne Boleyn visited Sudeley in 1535. Later, it became the home and final resting place of Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr. She remarried after the king died. Catherine Parr is buried in the castle's church. This makes Sudeley the only privately owned castle in the world with an English Queen buried on its grounds.
The Chandos family later lived at Sudeley. Queen Elizabeth I visited the castle three times. She even held a big three-day party there to celebrate England's victory over the Spanish Armada.
During the First English Civil War, Sudeley Castle was used as a military base by King Charles I and Prince Rupert. The castle was later attacked and damaged by Parliament's forces. It stayed mostly in ruins for a long time. In 1837, the Dent family bought it. They restored the castle and made it a family home again.
Contents
History of Sudeley Castle
Early Beginnings of Sudeley
The exact start of Sudeley is a mystery, but its name comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word. Sudeleagh means 'south-lying pasture or clearing in the forest'. Sudeley likely became important because it was close to Winchcombe. Winchcombe was once the capital of the Kingdom of Mercia. Winchcombe grew into a walled town with a monastery.
By the 1000s, Sudeley was a manor house with a royal deer park. King Æthelred the Unready gave it as a gift to his daughter Goda on her wedding day. Even after the Norman Conquest in 1066, Goda's family kept Sudeley for 400 more years.
Sudeley During the Anarchy
In the 1100s, during a time of civil war called The Anarchy, John de Sudeley supported Empress Matilda. She was fighting her cousin, Stephen of Blois, for the throne.
People believe the first castle at Sudeley was built around this time. It might have been a stronger version of the manor house or a new building. In 1139, after Matilda's forces attacked Worcester, Waleran de Beaumont fought back. He attacked and captured Sudeley and Tewkesbury.
The castle's defenses were likely torn down after this attack. Soon after, a new castle was built nearby in Winchcombe. A few decades later, John's son, William de Tracy, was involved in the murder of Thomas Becket. William was later sent away to Jerusalem.
Building the Current Castle
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By the 1400s, the Sudeley family line had ended. The Boteler family inherited the castle through marriage. Ralph Boteler began building the current Sudeley Castle in 1443. This was around the same time he became the Lord High Treasurer of England. He had become famous during the Hundred Years' War in France.
Ralph built Sudeley Castle with two courtyards. The outer courtyard was for servants and soldiers. The inner court was for Ralph and his family. In 1449, Ralph's son, Thomas Boteler, married Lady Eleanor Talbot. Her later relationship with King Edward IV was used by Richard III to claim the throne for himself.
King Richard III's Time
Ralph Boteler lost favor with the new king, Edward IV. In 1469, he had to sell Sudeley Castle to the crown. Edward IV gave Sudeley to his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Richard used it as a military base before a big battle in 1471.
Richard became king in 1483 and visited Sudeley. He is known for building the large banqueting hall at Sudeley. This "Great Hall" was very modern for its time. The ground floor was for meeting guests and feasting. The upper hall was just for the king and special guests. His own bedrooms were connected to this room.
Today, the banqueting hall is partly in ruins. It has been turned into a beautiful garden with roses and ivy. After Richard died in battle in 1485, Sudeley became property of King Henry VII. He then gave it to his uncle, Jasper Tudor.
Catherine Parr's Home
King Henry VIII only stayed at Sudeley once, in 1535, with Anne Boleyn. After Henry VIII died, his son Edward VI became king. This led to the rise of Edward and Thomas Seymour. Thomas Seymour secretly married Henry's widow, Catherine Parr, without the king's permission. This caused a small scandal.
In 1548, Catherine, who was pregnant, moved to Sudeley Castle with Thomas. She brought many people with her, including 120 guards and her ladies-in-waiting. Thomas had spent a lot of money to make the castle ready for a Queen. One of Catherine's attendants was Lady Jane Grey, who would later be queen for just nine days.
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Catherine died at Sudeley on September 5, 1548, after giving birth to her daughter, Mary Seymour. She was buried two days later at St. Mary's Church on the castle grounds. This was the first Protestant funeral in England. Over the years, her tomb was damaged and its location was lost.
In 1782, a coffin was found with a lead plate saying "Here lyeth Quene Kateryne wife to Kyng Henry the VIII". Her remains were later moved to a new, beautiful tomb in 1863. Today, her tomb is a special place for visitors.
After Catherine's death, Thomas Seymour kept Sudeley until he was accused of treason and executed. Catherine's brother then inherited the castle, but he was also accused of treason, and Sudeley was taken by the crown.
Sudeley in the Late 1500s
In 1554, John Brydges became Baron Chandos of Sudeley. His son, Edmund Brydges, greatly changed the castle in the 1560s and 1570s. He rebuilt much of the outer courtyard, which is the part of the castle the current family lives in today.
Queen Elizabeth I stayed at Sudeley three times. Her most famous visit was in 1592. Giles Brydges, the 3rd Baron Chandos, threw a huge three-day party for her. He prepared the castle grounds and held banquets, plays, and dances. He even gave her expensive gifts. This visit almost made the family go broke!
Archaeologists have been digging at Sudeley since 2018. They are trying to learn more about this party and the castle's old gardens. They have found evidence of gardens from the 1500s.
The English Civil War at Sudeley
Under the Chandos family, Sudeley continued to do well. Grey Brydges, the 5th Baron Chandos, was called "King of the Cotswolds" because he lived in a grand style and was very generous. He bought expensive tapestries from other countries to decorate Sudeley.
Sudeley's last royal visitor was King Charles I during the English Civil War. This war was fought between the king and Parliament. The castle's owner, George Brydges, supported the king. In 1643, Parliament's soldiers attacked the castle. The small group of defenders quickly gave up, and the castle was robbed.
Later that year, Charles I used Sudeley as his base in Gloucestershire. The castle changed hands several times during the war. In 1649, after the war ended, Parliament ordered the castle to be destroyed. They wanted to make sure it could never be used as a military base again. It took about five months to tear down parts of the castle, especially the inner courtyard.
George Brydges received some money for the damage, but he was in debt and could not rebuild Sudeley. He died in 1655. The ruined castle was inherited by his widow, Lady Jane Savage. She also could not restore it, and Sudeley remained a neglected ruin for almost 200 years.
Sudeley's Victorian Comeback
For nearly two centuries, the castle was mostly in ruins, but it was never completely empty. The Pitt family owned Sudeley. In the 1700s, they rented it out to others. The Lucas family lived there and hosted King George III in 1788. A housekeeper saved the king when he fell down a tower! The Lucas family also helped find Catherine Parr's tomb in 1782.
In 1837, two wealthy brothers, John and William Dent, bought Sudeley Castle. They made their money from manufacturing gloves. At that time, the castle was "ruined, but partly lived in by tenants." One tenant had even turned part of the castle into a pub and was selling off its stones!
The Dent brothers carefully restored the castle. They decided not to rebuild everything, leaving some parts as beautiful ruins. This gives the castle its special look today. They filled the castle with art and old items, buying many pieces from a famous auction in 1842.
By 1855, both brothers had passed away. The castle was inherited by their nephew, John Croucher Dent, and his wife, Emma Dent. Emma was from a wealthy silk manufacturing family. She made many improvements to the castle and its collections.
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Emma loved to entertain, hosting over 2,000 guests a year at parties and balls. She also wrote many letters, including some to Florence Nightingale. In 1859, Emma started to recreate a historic garden. She also made the house much larger and improved its services. She even helped Winchcombe get its first piped water supply in 1887.
Later, Henry Dent Brocklehurst and his wife Marion redecorated the castle. Their son, Jack, created a beautiful library. His wife Mary brought a large collection of fine paintings to the castle.
Sudeley in Modern Times
By the start of World War II, Sudeley Castle was facing financial difficulties. The family had to sell much of the land to pay taxes after Henry Dent-Brocklehurst died in 1932. During the war, the Tate Gallery used the castle to store its art, keeping it safe from bombings.
There was also a prisoner of war (POW) camp for Italian and German soldiers near the castle. The POWs worked on local farms. One German POW, Willy Reuter, later visited Sudeley with his family.
Elizabeth, Lady Ashcombe, first came to Sudeley after marrying Mark Dent-Brocklehurst in 1962. They decided to open the castle to the public, which they did in May 1970. Mark passed away in 1972, and Elizabeth had to manage Sudeley on her own.
In 1979, Elizabeth (now Lady Ashcombe) and her children, Henry and Mollie, took over running the castle as a visitor attraction. They worked hard to restore the castle.
In 2008, the family had to sell a painting by J. M. W. Turner to help with the castle's restoration. In 2012, Sudeley held a re-enactment of Catherine Parr's funeral, which was very popular.
Sudeley Today
Sudeley Castle is still owned and operated by the family. Elizabeth, Lady Ashcombe, and her children and grandchildren live there. They are dedicated to keeping the castle and its treasures safe and continuing to restore the gardens.
In 2018, the castle's exhibitions were updated and reopened. They are called "Royal Sudeley 1,000: Trials, Triumphs and Treasures." These exhibitions are in the 15th-century service wing and show 1,000 years of Sudeley's history. They display historical items and artwork.
The castle is open to the public during certain seasons. Parts of it are used as a hotel, but it is still a family home. Lady Ashcombe is often called the "chatelaine of Sudeley," meaning the lady of the castle. You can even take tours of the family's private apartments.
Sudeley is also a popular place for weddings. Famous people like Elizabeth Hurley and Felicity Jones have gotten married there. In 2019, thieves stole some valuable items from the castle's royal exhibition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the castle was closed for some time in 2020 and 2021.
Gardens and Parkland
Sudeley Castle is in the middle of a 1,200-acre estate. This land includes open fields and woodlands. Many public walking paths cross the estate, including the Cotswold Way, a 102-mile long-distance path. These paths connect Sudeley to other historic places like Hailes Abbey and Belas Knap.
The castle gardens cover about 15 acres and are open to visitors.
The garden is divided into ten different sections. The most important is the Queens' Garden. This garden is a Victorian recreation of an original Elizabethan garden. The tall yew hedges around it were planted in 1860.
A famous rose expert, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall, designed the current rose display. The Queens' Garden now has over 80 different types of roses.
Another garden at Sudeley is The Knot Garden. It has more than 1,200 box hedges. Its complex design was inspired by the pattern on a dress worn by Elizabeth I in a painting that hangs in the castle.
St Mary's Church, where Catherine Parr is buried, is next to the White Garden. This garden has white flowers like peonies, clematis, and roses. Catherine and Lady Jane Grey would have walked through this garden to go to church.
Sudeley is also home to one of the world's largest collections of endangered pheasants. The pheasantry has been at the castle for over 30 years. It is part of a program to help increase the numbers of these rare birds and eventually release them back into the wild.
Things to See and Do
Sudeley Castle has been a tourist attraction since the early 1700s. It attracted people who loved old things, artists, and printmakers. King George III visited in 1788.
Today, Sudeley is one of the few castles in England that is still a private home. The Dent-Brocklehurst family works hard to make the castle and gardens open to the public. They open it seasonally, but the family's private rooms usually remain closed.
Art Collection at Sudeley
The main part of Sudeley's art collection came from a huge auction in 1842. This auction sold off the art collection of Horace Walpole, who was the son of the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. More art was added over the years, including pieces from the collection of a Victorian businessman, James Morrison.
The castle's collection also includes historical items. These include a prayer book and a love letter from Catherine Parr, old weapons, and a rare medieval book called the Bohun Book of Hours.
Not all the art is on display to the public. Some is in the exhibitions, and the rest is kept in the family's private rooms. The castle offers special art tours where small groups can see the art in the private areas.
Here are some famous artworks at Sudeley Castle:
- An Allegory of the Tudor Succession: This painting was ordered by Elizabeth I.
- Rise of the River Stour at Stourhead: A painting by J. M. W. Turner from 1817.
- A Portrait of Peter Paul Rubens: Painted by Anthony van Dyck.
- Flora: A painting by Bernardino Luini from around 1515.
- Miniature of King Henry VIII: Thought to be by Lucas Horenbout.
- Miniature of Queen Catherine Parr: By Hans Holbein the Younger.
Textile Collection at Sudeley
Emma Dent put together Sudeley Castle's textile collection in the 1800s. It is considered one of the best collections in the country. For a while, some pieces were on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Because some pieces are very delicate, only a few are on display. The rest are kept safely stored.
Here are some special textiles at Sudeley Castle:
- Louis XV Aubusson bed hangings: Believed to have belonged to Marie Antoinette.
- The Sudeley Stumpwork Box: Dates to about 1660.
- A waistcoat: Believed to have belonged to Charles I.
- A 16th-century lace canopy: Said to have been made by Anne Boleyn for Elizabeth I's christening.
- A piece of cloth: Said to be from Catherine Parr's dress, found when her tomb was opened in 1782.
- Early 17th-century Sheldon Tapestry: Woven with wool, silk, and metal thread, showing flowers and Bible scenes.
Gallery
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The Queens' Garden
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St. Mary's Church, Sudeley Castle
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Knot Garden
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Catherine Parr antechamber
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Catherine Parr's tomb
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Sudeley Pheasantry
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Northern Wing
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See also
