England: The Mary Rose - A Tudor Tale
31st Mar 2026
Key Highlights
- Private talk and guided tour of the Mary Rose
- The magnificent Hampton Court Palace
- Multiple Tudor connections on the south coast
- Hever Castle the Childhood home of Anne Boleyn
Summary
The raising of Henry VIII’s flagship the Mary Rose was one of the most complex and expensive maritime salvage projects in history and the surviving section of the ship and thousands of recovered artefacts are of great value as a Tudor period time capsule. Today the museum which houses her, rebuilt in 2013, is one of the foremost visitor attractions on the south coast and forms the centrepiece of this new tour which takes in a series of properties associated with the great Tudor age.
We begin at Hampton Court Palace, which became one of Henry VIII’s most favoured residences and is home to the last medieval great hall built for the English monarchy. We then visit the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth, home to the Mary Rose Museum, where we have a private talk on how the life of the Mary Rose and the tumultuous reign of King Henry VIII were intertwined. We take a trip along the south coast with visits to Henry VIII’s fourth wife Anne of Cleve’s house in Lewes and Arundel Castle and its distinguished Tudor connections. Our final visit is to the childhood home of Hever Castle and Gardens which was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn - completing our Tudor tale.
What's included
- Accommodation
- Meals as per the itinerary
- Comfortable coach travel throughout
- All visits as outlined in the itinerary
- Services of a professional tour manager
Meet your tour manager
Linda Robinson
Linda has worked as an international Tour Manager for more than 20 years, leading cultural, walking, and wildlife tours. She began leading groups for Brightwater after graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Horticulture in 2019. Although Linda is happy spending time in any garden, she particularly enjoys visiting those with historic interest. Keen to learn more on this subject, she graduated with an MA in Garden and Landscape History in 2023. Passionate about preserving historic gardens, Linda spends her free time researching sites for Historic England listing, and is a Trustee of her County Gardens Trust.
Day by Day Itinerary
We depart by coach from our central London pick-up point and head to Hampton Court Palace. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief minister of Henry VIII. In 1529, as Wolsey fell from favour, the cardinal gave the palace to the king to check his disgrace. The palace went on to become one of Henry’s most favoured residences; soon after acquiring the property, he arranged for it to be enlarged so it could accommodate his sizeable retinue of courtiers. In later years, it was much extended, in various architectural styles, but at its heart, it remains Tudor and symbolic of the enormous power that the dynasty wielded.
Meals includedDinner
Departure Routes
| Location | Pickup Time | Dropoff Time |
|---|---|---|
| London, Coach bays on Tothill Street, Westminster | 11:00 | 17:00 |
| Joining at first visit (Hampton Court Palace) | 12:30 | |
| 15:00 |
** Please note that all timings are approximate and subject to change. Final timings and pick-up points will be confirmed with your joining instructions approximately 10 days prior to departure. **
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