Sudeley Castle and Chapel

The ruins of Sudeley Castle Nr. Winchcombe

in the Cotswolds

map (minus the arrow) from

www.cotswolds.info

We started out at Cirencester, (just about the middle of the map above) where we spent a few nights at a great B&B. From there, we drove straight north on a narrow (aren't they all narrow??) formerly-Roman road (sometimes path) called the White Way. It was the short cut. Short cuts in England are not necessarily faster, but way more fun and interesting!

From the Sudeley Castle Website:
(I learned my lesson!)

The Castle was once home to Queen Katherine Parr, the last and surviving wife of King Henry VIII. Henry himself, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Queen Elizabeth 1 and Richard III have all played a part in Sudeley’s story. King Charles 1 found refuge here during the Civil War, when his nephew Prince Rupert established headquarters at the Castle.

Following it’s ‘slighting’ on Cromwell’s orders at the end of the Civil War, Sudeley lay neglected and derelict for nearly 200 years. King George III was among those sightseers who came to admire its romantic ruins.

Continuing from the website...

'Then in 1837 Sudeley was rescued by the wealthy Worcester glove-makers, brothers John and William Dent, who began an ambitious restoration programme which was continued by their nephew, John Coucher Dent, when he inherited the Castle in 1855. His wife, Emma Brocklehurst, threw herself enthusiastically into Sudeley’s restoration, at the same time forging strong links with the nearby town of Winchcombe. It is the results of Emma’s dedication that are so evident in the gardens and exhibitions at Sudeley today.

The Chapel

Chapel Rood Screen and Pulpit

Inside the small, cold, and dank chapel

Tomb of Catherine Parr, Sixth wife of Henry VIII

Sudeley Chapel

...Sudeley is now the home of the Dent-Brocklehursts and Lord and Lady Ashcombe. The family are committed to the continued preservation of the Castle and its treasures and the ongoing restoration and regeneration of the gardens.'

I was told that Hugh Grant hangs out there (not necessarily in the chapel, but that area) with friends from time to time. I'm not a huge Hugh Grant fan and thought he was a mediocre Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility, but one of my all-time favorite movies is Two Weeks' Notice, in which he was absolutely hilarious!!

The Sweet Cotswold Sheep north of Cirencester

(You thought I'd miss an opportunity to include those sweet little faces??) 


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Have a great weekend, everyone!