Beautiful Collyweston….

The ten best villages in England are listed here and Collyweston in Northamptonshire makes the grade. I can only say that it does so entirely on its own merit and in spite of having once been the lair of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.

Ranulph Lord Dacre of Gilsland – The Lord who was buried with his horse.

Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri @sparkypus.com The monument in All Saints Church, Saxby over the grave of Ranulph Lord Dacre and his horse. Photo Mary Emma1@Flkir Ranulph/Ranulf/Randolph/Ralph, Lord Dacre of Gilsland’s precise date of birth is lost to us – as is his exact Christian name it would seem -but has been suggested as c.1412 although…

Richard III returns to Kenilworth Castle….!

I’m told that Max Keen is well worthing watching and hearing because he is a great expert on his medieval subject. Given that, and the fact that he will be appearing in the majestic surroundings of Kenilworth Castle make this coming occasion a must for those who can attend. This article states that Richard III…

The fireworks display at Richard’s reinterment….

Fireworks used to be associated with Bonfire Night, 5th November, but nowadays they are employed for many occasions, not least of which (for Ricardians) was the week-long celebration of Richard’s reinterment at Leicester Cathedral. The reinterment was on 26 March 2015, and ended with a spectacular fireworks display around the cathedral. This link is to…

The story of Richard’s discovery, and a virtual tour of the Visitor Centre….

The story of how Richard III’s remains were discovered is a fascinating one, almost a fairy story, and happening upon a website that tells it properly is a bonus. If you go here you will arrive at the Seeing the Past website, which I thoroughly recommend. Credit is given where credit is due, i.e. with…

Another Hundred Years’ Grudge

A few years ago, we showed that Robert Catesby, directly descended from Sir William Catesby, sought to kill James VI/I, a descendant of Henry VII, by gunpowder 120 years after Henry had Sir William hanged after Bosworth.This second case, of which I was reminded in Kathryn Warner‘s The Despensers, doesn’t involve direct ancestry on both…

NEW DISCOVERIES AT PONTEFRACT CASTLE

Pontefract Castle was, in its day, the Windsor of the North. Large and seemingly impregnable , it had two massive tapering towers that rose up to over a hundred feet high, a landmark visible from miles away. It was the scene of many historical events–in 1322 Edward II executed his cousin, Thomas of Lancaster here,…

In the teeth of the evidence

Here, a little-known television journalist-historian named Dominic Selwood disputes the identity of Richard III’s remains, despite the mtDNA match with collateral descendants in Canada and Australia, their height, age of death, era of death, scoliosis, battle injuries, region of origin and the location of his original burial at the choir of the Greyfriars. In fact…

Today I learned about the Pyx Chamber at Westminster Abbey….

I had never heard of the Pyx Chamber at Westminster Abbey, and so I made a point of finding out about it online. I discovered it to be a fascinating corner of the abbey….as well as being probably the oldest part. It is also believed to have the most ancient door in England, which for…

SIR THOMAS BURGH c.1430-1496 AND GAINSBOROUGH OLD HALL

Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri @sparkypus.com Gainsborough Old Hall.  Photo thanks to Graham Oxford Photography Street. Sir Thomas Burgh was the builder  of Gainsborough Hall, as seen today,  after inheriting the original building in 1455 on the death of his mother Elizabeth Percy,  when he was 24 years old.  The building and enhancement, which took…