TOUR WITH US
1502: The Year That
Shook The Tudor Throne
On Progress with
Henry VII & Elizabeth of York
TOUR DATES
6-12 July 2026
1502: The Year That Shook The Tudor Throne
On Progress with Henry VII & Elizabeth of York
In the aftermath of the Battle of Bosworth Field, years of uncertainty plagued the new Tudor dynasty as Yorkist pretenders emerged to threaten Henry Tudor’s grasp on the English throne. However, by the end of the fifteenth century, Henry VII had prevailed against all the odds and the Kingdom looked secure.
Tragically, this moment of settled triumph would not endure. As the new century dawned, Henry VII and his Queen Consort, Elizabeth of York, suffered a series of immense personal losses as statesmen who had been staunchly loyal to Henry Tudor, as well as close family members, succumbed to illness and died.
The most devastating of these losses came with the unexpected demise of the heir to the Tudor throne, Prince Arthur, on 2 April 1502. Arthur died following a short illness at Ludlow Castle and was buried shortly thereafter in Worcester Cathedral. Although the couple were shaken with grief, Elizabeth soon conceived a hoped-for ‘spare’.
As the future of the Tudors hung in the balance, and with Elizabeth pregnant once more, the two monarchs embarked on a summer progress which was quite unlike any other.
Thanks to a recent misinterpretation of the evidence, many believe that Elizabeth travelled alone but this is far from the truth. This progress from Oxfordshire to one of Henry’s childhood homes, Raglan Castle in Monmouthshire, was curiously personal, devoid of the usual state entries and civic receptions we often associate with royal progresses. In many ways, this seems more like a trip down memory lane and a chance to grieve recent events away from the glaring eyes of court.
Over the last couple of years, Sarah Morris, author and co-founder of Simply Tudor Tours has been meticulously researching the itinerary of this progress, discovering locations and artefacts associated with it, many of which have largely been forgotten by the mainstream Tudor community.
Now you can enjoy this unique experience for yourself, travelling in the footsteps of the founders of the Tudor dynasty. We travel from the site of the Old Palace of Woodstock through the glorious Cotswold countryside to Henry’s childhood home at Raglan Castle and back through quaint Gloucestershire villages that were at the epicentre of Europe’s wool trade and whose financial support was so vital to Henry Tudor’s reign.
If you are a connoisseur of Tudor history and ready to explore places and artefacts associated with this fascinating period of early Tudor history (some of which are well off the usual tourist trail), this tour is for you!
Prepare to immerse yourself in the lives of Elizabeth of York and Henry VII in a tumultuous year that undoubtedly shook the Tudor throne…
SO, ARE YOU READY?
For more details of the itinerary and pricing, or to book your place, click the button below:
MEET YOUR HOSTS
YOUR TOUR CO-HOSTS
Sarah
Morris
Founder of ‘The Tudor Travel Guide’ and ‘The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Tudor England’. Author of ‘In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn’ and ‘In the Footsteps of the Six Wives of Henry VIII’.
Adam
Pennington
Adam is the Founder of ‘The Tudor Chest’ blog and podcast. He is an historian and author of ‘Henry VIII and the Plantagenet Poles – The Rise and Fall of a Dynasty’.
YOUR ITINERARY
HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO DURING THE TOUR…
DAY ONE: THE PROGRESS BEGINS…
Pick up in Central London and Transfer to the Cotswolds.
We will be picked up by luxury coach from a central London location and transferred to our boutique Cotswold Hotel in the glorious Cotswold village of Chipping Campden.
Along the way, we will stop at Blenheim Park to visit the site of the Old Palace of Woodstock, where our story begins. Although the old manor is long gone, we will use this visit to hear about pivotal events that shaped this unusual progress and learn more about one of Henry VII’s favoured palaces while standing on the spot where the progress began.
From Woodstock, we will travel deep into the Cotswold countryside to check into our historic hotel in the heart of Chipping Campden. The village was a prosperous wool town during the Middle Ages and Tudor period. We recommend a stroll down its High Street to see glorious buildings dating from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries.
In the early evening, we will gather for welcome drinks and a pre-dinner talk from your co-hosts, Sarah Morris and Adam Pennington, who will set the scene for the week ahead.
DAY TWO: THE DEATH OF AN HEIR…
Worcester Cathedral and Prince Arthur’s Tomb.
On the first full day of our tour, we head to Worcester Cathedral to immerse ourselves in the event that would profoundly shape the Tudor dynasty: the unexpected and tragic death of Arthur Tudor, eldest son and heir to the Tudor throne.
Prince Arthur was buried in Worcester Cathedral on 25 April 1502, and his private chantry chapel, sited close to the high altar, survives. We will be joined on location by an expert on the life of Prince Arthur, Sean Cunningham from the National Archives, author of ‘Prince Arthur: The King Who Never Was‘. Sean will talk about the Prince’s demise, his burial and tomb, the impact of his death on his royal parents, and the summer progress to come.
You will visit Arthur’s ornate chantry chapel and see his tomb up close before heading to the Cathedral’s library (originally the monastic library prior to the Dissolution) for a private tour. Here we will have the chance to inspect a wide selection of books and letters relating to the cathedral’s history. The documents date from the medieval to Tudor periods and will be drawn from the archive especially for our visit.
From there, we will pick up the trail of the progress and visit one of the most magnificent medieval buildings in the country: Gloucester Cathedral. The royal couple visited Gloucester during the progress and Sarah will talk about the hospitality shown to Tudor monarchs when visiting major towns and cities.
While at Gloucester Cathedral, we will explore the world-famous cloisters to see a much-overlooked set of heraldic badges fashioned from stained glass. These survivors date to the Tudor period and amazingly have links to the 1502 progress. We will end our time at Gloucester with a private tour of the Cathedral’s medieval library.
In the evening, from our hotel base in Chipping Campden, we will head out to a local Cotswold restaurant to relax and eat together while we digest all the fabulous treasures we have seen during the day.
DAY THREE: THE HOMECOMING…
Raglan Castle and Monmouth
Raglan was the centrepiece of the 1502 progress, with the royal couple staying at the castle for around one week. The castle was Henry Tudor’s home for eight formative years. He lived there as the ward of the powerful Sir William Herbert of Raglan between the ages of five to thirteen. During that time, the young Henry forged a lifelong friendship with at least one of Sir William’s children.
To make the most of our visit to Raglan, we will be joined on-location by our expert guest, Nathen Amin, historian and author of ‘Son of Prophecy: The Rise of Henry Tudor‘. Nathan will recount the tales of Henry’s time there as a young boy and why Henry visited during this progress.
On our way back into England, we will visit Monmouth, just over the English/ Welsh border to view a rare and beautiful Tudor chasuble with direct links to the royal couple and the 1502 progress. This object is not on public display and we are delighted and honoured to be able to view it in the flesh. Our expert guide, who will help us unpack its history and significance to Henry and Elizabeth, is Eleri Lynn, ex-curator of the Historic Dress Collection at Historic Royal Palaces and author of such books as ‘Tudor Textiles‘.
In the late afternoon, we check into the fabulous Thornbury Castle, now a five-star luxury hotel but once home to the likes of Jasper Tudor and Elizabeth of York’s sister, Katherine. Thornbury will be our base for the next two days.
DAY FOUR: PASTIME AND PLEASURE…
Thornbury Castle
Today is a day of leisure – Tudor-style! We will spend it at Thornbury Castle, soaking up its unique history and atmosphere. However, this will be no ordinary day. We have arranged for pleasant pastimes to while away the time.
In the morning, we will enjoy some hands-on practice with two sports much beloved by the Tudors: archery and falconry. Yes, this is your chance to have a go at ‘shooting at the butt’ or casting off a bird of prey, impressing your fellow travellers with your sixteenth-century panache!
In the afternoon, we will relax completely and take afternoon tea either in the gardens if the weather is fine, or alternatively, inside the castle. Learn all about this quintessential English tradition and decide if you like to eat your scones the Devon or Cornwall way!
Finally, Sarah will lead a walking tour of the castle’s exterior to point out some of its notable Tudor architecture. Before dinner, we will be joined by Elizabeth Norton, Tudor historian and author of books such as ‘The Lives of Tudor Women‘ and ‘Margaret Beaufort‘ to talk about Henry’s much-loved, enigmatic queen: Elizabeth of York.
DAY FIVE: CASTLES
Berkeley and Beverston Castles
On Day Three, having said ‘goodbye’ to Thornbury, we visit two of the most formidable and impressive castles on the 1502 itinerary: Berkeley and Beverston Castles, both in Gloucestershire.
We begin the day by picking up the trail of Henry & Elizabeth as they began their journey back in the direction of Woodstock. Our next destination is Berkeley Castle. At the time, Berkeley Castle was in the possession of the Crown and the two monarchs spent around a week enjoying its pleasant charms and those of the south Gloucestershire countryside. We will hear about gifts delivered to Queen Elizabeth during the progress and walk through chambers that would have been used as part of the royal lodgings. While there, we will enjoy a private tour of the castle.
After lunch, we will travel northwards once again towards our final accommodation in the north Cotswolds. Along the way, we will pause en route to explore a largely forgotten Tudor location: Beverston Castle.
While part of the castle remains a private home, the medieval privy apartments that would have been used by the royal couple, lie abandoned. We have been invited to get up close to these romantic ruins and, if the weather allows, enjoy some tea and cake on the terrace.
Having explored both of these locations, we will make our way to our final accommodation destination: The Bay Tree in the picture-postcard village of Burford in Gloucestershire.
DAY SIX: COTSWOLD TREASURES…
Cirencester and Fairford
On the morning of Day Six, we will continue on the trail of Henry and Elizabeth as they head back towards the starting point of the progress: The Old Palace of Woodstock.
On this day of the tour, we will follow the royal couple to Cirencester and Fairford to explore some rare Tudor treasures. This area of the Cotswolds was particularly noted for the pre-eminence of the medieval and Tudor wool trade and both these locations are closely tied to the 1502 progress via their two surviving parish churches.
To explain the importance of the wool trade and its wealthy wool merchants to Henry, and to decode the links to the Tudors in the architecture, tombs and treasures we will encounter, we will be joined on-location by expert guide, Sam Harper. Sam was one of the small and dedicated team who digitalized the Queen’s Chamber Books (from which much of the knowledge about this progress comes). She is also an expert on the wool churches of the Cotswolds and their links to Henry VII. So, there is no-one finer to act as our guide during our travels.
During the day, we will have the chance to see rare artefacts, such as the unparallelled Tudor stained glass to be found in Fairford Church before heading back to The Bay Tree to enjoy our last evening together.
DAY SEVEN : FINAL FAREWELLS…
The Bay Tree, Burford.
After a leisurely breakfast, there will be final farewells as we say goodbye for now, taking fabulous memories of an incredible week with us.
Our coach will transfer those who wish to travel back to London to a central London location. However, it may be that you use this final destination as a spring board for a longer vacation. If this is the case, Sarah and Adam can advise on onward travel, if needed.
Until next time!
For more details of the itinerary and pricing, or to book your place, click the button below:
‘Elizabeth was responsible for delivering a Future and her Legacy Long Outlived Her.’
Amy Licence.
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