Royalty is centre stage this year but if you want a trip that gets you beyond the House of Windsor, back to England’s very own Game of Thrones, how about an actual Tudor castle? Specifically, the only Tudor castle in England where you can stay: Thornbury Castle, near Bristol.
It belonged to the third Duke of Buckingham, Edward Stafford, who, alas, fell foul of Henry VIII – as pretty well everyone with Plantagenet descent did, poor things – so that put paid to his plans for a crenellated tower. Later Mary Tudor stayed there, and restored the castle to the family, in gratitude for their support during her own difficulties with Henry.
