Fotheringhay, the birthplace of Richard III

[caption id="attachment_1118" align="aligncenter" width="940"] You can see the mound behind us![/caption]

Britain is full of wonderful hidden gems. One of these is Fotheringhay, It's in Northamptonshire, not far from Peterborough, and is a place full of both history and beauty.

Fotheringhay is a gorgeous, very small village which we visited simply because I remembered going there as a child and being fascinated by its history. I've always been interested in the Tudors and this was the place given to Catherine of Aragon by Henry VIII, and where Mary Queen of Scots met her end, being imprisoned, tried and then literally losing her head in the castle's great hall, in 1587.

The castle itself was built over 1000 years ago, in around 1100. A king who has been very much in the news, Richard III, was born there in 1452 and soil from the castle - blessed by the Bishop of Leicester - will be used at his reburial tomorrow. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will also sprinkle a portion of the sample into Richard III’s coffin.

You approach the castle via a footpath and it is now basically a mound, flattened on the top, which you climb up - only the earthworks and a conical motte remain. There is no building, and yet it's still a great place to visit. The climb is fun, the views are gorgeous (you are right beside the river Nene) and it's very peaceful.

[caption id="attachment_1120" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The peaceful Nene Valley in Fotheringhay[/caption]

Fotheringhay also has a beautiful church and an array of lovely stone houses. It also has a delicious restaurant, the Falcon Inn, where we sat down for a spot of lunch. However, it is a tiny village, so it won't take you very long to see what's on offer. Enjoy this taste of history!

We loved being in the country and have linked up with Country Kids this week!



 

If you like history, you may enjoy:

Visiting Selby Abbey, nearly 1000 years of history

Winchester, Wolf Hall and more

Winchester, Wolf Hall and more

[caption id="attachment_1015" align="aligncenter" width="363"] The Nave of Winchester Cathedral[/caption]

We had a terrific time when we went to Winchester a few years ago, particularly enjoying the Science Centre, but also doing some brass rubbing and trying on some armour at the Westgate Museum (a former debtors' prison), having a lovely mooch around the city and standing in awe at the incredible cathedral (which had its own children's trail, as well as the grave of Jane Austen, which meant two extra-good reasons to visit).

Now the city has found a new way to market itself, in connection with Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel's book, which is currently being screened on BBC 2. As a Tudor aficionado (I studied Tudor history at school and then at university too), I am really enjoying my Wednesday night treat, even if I was never particularly sympathetic to Thomas Cromwell before now, so I was intrigued by this new Wolf Hall trail. And I have to say it might require another trip to Winchester!

The revamped trail (which you can see here) has been launched in response to many enquiries about the Tudor attractions in Winchester and includes The Great Hall and Winchester Cathedral. If you are a hard-core fan, and want even more, you can also take a walking trail which connects filming locations for Wolf Hall with Tudor landmarks.

Other properties connected with the television seriesl include the gorgeous Barrington Court in Somerset (which represents York Place/Whitehall, the home of Cardinal Wolsey) and Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, which not only represents Wolf Hall itself, but has also appeared on the small and big screen before, including in Pride and Prejudice and two of the Harry Potter films.

Read about our trip to Winchester

Watch our video of Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn