|
However, the Castle is steeped in history, boasting Royal
connections spanning 1,000 years, and has played an important
role in the turbulent and changing times of England’s past. Once
the property of King Ethelred the Unready, the present Castle
dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. Indeed, Sudeley is
perhaps most famously known for its Tudor connections, when it
was home to Queen Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth and
surviving wife. After Henry’s death, Katherine married her
former love, Sir Thomas Seymour, who proudly brought his new
bride back to Sudeley. Katherine is said to have spent her
happiest days at the Castle, but sadly these were short-lived
and she died just days after the birth of her first child in
1548. Her marble clad tomb may be seen in her final resting
place in St. Mary’s Church.
In 1642, Civil War was inevitable and at Sudeley, George, sixth
Lord Chandos, declared for the King and armed his tenants and
servants. Centrally placed between the King’s headquarters at
Oxford and the fiercely loyal West Country, the Castle soon
became the base for Charles I’s nephew, Prince Rupert of the
Rhine. Sudeley was twice under siege before being finally
slighted by Cromwell’s troops. The Castle was left sadly
neglected and derelict, yet its dramatic ruins became a popular
attraction even then, when prominent visitors included George
III.
It was 200 years later before events took an upturn when, in
1837, the Castle was bought by John and William Dent of the
famous Worcestershire glove making company of the same name.
Keen amateur historians, they embarked on an ambitious
restoration programme, both rebuilding and stabilising the
ruins. Within a few years, the Castle was a home once more.
Following their deaths, the Castle passed to their nephew, John
Coucher Dent and it was his wife, Emma, whom we have to thank
for Sudeley Castle as we see it today. A formidable character
with endless enthusiasm, her influences can be seen from the
double yew hedges she planted in the Gardens to the restoration
of the buildings. Emma’s work did not stop at Sudeley though,
and she strove to forge strong links with Winchcombe, where she
was responsible for the Dents Terrace almshouses, the setting up
of Church House School and supplying the first piped water into
the town.
Today Sudeley is the family home of Lord and Lady Ashcombe and
the Dent-Brocklehurst family. They are dedicated to its
continued restoration, with particular emphasis on conservation
and sustainability. Each year it welcomes nearly 100,000
visitors to the historic apartments and award-winning gardens.
The Castle houses an impressive collection of fine furniture and
paintings, including works by Turner, Rubens and Van Dyck, as
well as Tudor relics, Civil War memorabilia and Victoriana. Emma
Dent’s story is also re-told through her diary extracts in the
exhibition ‘The Lace and Times of Emma Dent’. A host of special
events run throughout the season, including Medieval Jousting
and Falconry, which appeal to young and old alike, and on Summer
evenings open air performances ranging from Shakespeare to Jazz
take place in the Gardens. |
