Explore places with Tudor history

Children will love the stories about Tudor people who lived at our places. To really imagine life in Tudor times, they can try out Tudor games, dress up in costumes and hunt for historical clues. 'We particularly enjoyed using the toys and games and seeing the different herbs and spices that were used in those times,’ said a visitor to the Tudor Merchant's House.

Children peering out of the under 18s room at Cotehele, Cornwall

Cotehele, Cornwall 

You'll see why the Tudor owners chose this spot to build their house. Perched high above the River Tamar, they could see enemies approaching from miles around. Look out for Tudor armour, tapestries and more inside the house.

Step back into Tudor times at Cotehele
A girl wearing a mob cap holding a mixing bowl

Elizabethan House, Norfolk 

Try on Tudor costumes at this house, famous for its connections with Oliver Cromwell. He, and other Parliamentarians often met at Elizabethan House during the Civil War. History says it was here that they decided to execute King Charles I.

Discover deathly Tudor plots at Elizabethan House
Children playing in the garden at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire

Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire 

Dress up as an Elizabethan and get a taste of courtly life at Hardwick Hall. You can also find out about the people who quarried the stone that makes Hardwick look so impressive.

Imagine Tudor life at Hardwick
Little boy dressed up in traditional Tudor costume

Tudor Merchant's House, Pembrokeshire 

Try 'Tudor Family Fortunes' to find out more about the people who lived here. Did you know the Tudors had yo-yos? Play at being a Tudor by dressing up in some of our costumes.

Meet the Tudors who lived at Merchant's House
Children playing with bubbles on front lawn

Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire 

Have a go at Tudor crafts with our costumed interpreters. Or play a Tudor board game in the house or out in the orchard, if it's a nice day.

Have some Tudor fun at Moreton Hall
Children in Tudor dress up walking along the Long Gallery Montacute House

Montacute House, Somerset 

Photography hadn't been invented in Tudor times. But you can look at over 60 paintings of Tudor people in Montacute's Long Gallery and imagine what they were like.

Look at Tudor faces at Montacute

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk 

Crawl into the secret priest’s hole dating back to Tudor times at Oxburgh. You can also see needlework created by Mary Queen of Scots.

Play Tudor kings and queens at Oxburgh
View of Rufford Old Hall

Rufford Old Hall, Lancashire 

Imagine yourself as a real Tudor at Rufford Old Hall. The dining table is laid as if for a feast at the time. Discover the stories that suggest Shakespeare may have performed here as a teenager. Decide for yourself whether you think he did.

Search for signs of Shakespeare at Rufford
Children at The Vyne, Hampshire.

The Vyne, Hampshire 

Lords and ladies have lived at the Vyne for hundreds of years. Can you spot clues from its Tudor past in the windows and walls? Look out for Henry VIII and one of his many wives.

Look out for Tudor clues at the Vyne