Feature

July’s Tudor Experience in the Bishop’s Waltham Palace Ruins begins to Take Shape

The details of what will happen on the weekend of 2nd/3rd are beginning to firm up. The Tudor experience promises to be a fun filled two-day event with activities for all the family. Starting with a procession in the High Street at 10.15am on Saturday 2nd July, the gates of the Palace Grounds will officially open at 10.30am and will close again at 5.00pm.

There will be food, drink, and ice cream stalls to suit all tastes. On the evening of Saturday 2nd July, the Grand Tudor Banquet will take place. Guests, who will be encouraged to come dressed in Tudor style, will enjoy a welcome drink, a four course Tudor meal and entertainment in the atmospheric surroundings of the Bishop’s Waltham Palace Bake House. Due to space limitations, tickets will be restricted so avoid disappointment by emailing tudorbanquet@gmail.com to reserve your tickets now. Sunday 3rd will see a repeat of Saturday’s activities.

Activities will include: • Displays and demonstrations of Tudor Arms and Armour • Tudor Food and Cooking • Leatherwork • Wool Spinning • Archery • Wandering Minstrels • Dancing and Music • Puppetry • Dancing and Music • Ferret racing • Bee keeping in Tudor Times • Calligraphy • Art and Craft Activities • Amateur Dramatics Tableaux and sketches • Story Telling • Falconry This weekend of celebrations commemorates Henry VIII’s visit to Bishop’s Waltham 500 years ago to the day, to sign the Treaty of Waltham along with Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. This treaty cemented their relationship and set the agenda for how the two monarchs would attack France in the years to come. The event is being planned and produced by members of the Bishop’s Waltham Town Team, the Bishop’s Waltham Society and the Bishop’s Waltham Museum.

Entrance to the daytime events will be by ticket which will cost £10.00 for adults, £5 for 12 -18-year-olds and there will be no cost for primary age children. Tickets will be on sale from 1st May onwards online and through local outlets.

To coincide with this important anniversary, the Bishop’s Waltham Museum is mounting a special Tudor Exhibition. The museum, which is volunteer led and run, can be found in the only remaining part of the lodgings built by Bishop’s Langton in 1495. The museum will be open from 1st May 22nd and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-4pm.

For more information about the Henry VIII celebrations visit our website at https://www.henry500years.co.uk/ and follow our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/henry500years.