Henry VII Experience at Micklegate Bar

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1 Henry VII Experience at Micklegate Bar Details Micklegate Bar, the iconic royal gateway of the City of York, invites you to discover The Henry VII Experience. Explore the life of the first Tudor King as he created a new era in English History, after defeating his rival Richard III. Experience his early years as an exiled Lancastrian heir to the throne, who roamed the land gaining support and praise, eventually ruling the country! Discover his impact on the city of York, as it continued to prosper throughout his reign, with interactive experiences and displays dedicated to the life of the Tudor King. For a more gruesome look at Henry s past, step into our Tudor camp, where grisly facts about the Tudor times written by Horrible Histories author Terry Deary await to be discovered. Learn the life of this iconic royal, in the very Gateway where his enemies heads were spiked. Opening details Please be advised that Micklegate Bar is closed whilst the Bar Walls are closed due to icy conditions.

2 MEDIEVAL-YORK/ABOUT-HENRY-VII/ DISCOVER HENRY VII HENRY VII WAS THE FIRST TUDOR KING OF ENGLAND WHO RULED FOR TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AFTER DEFEATING RICHARD III AT THE BATTLE OF BOSWORTH. His early reign was made unstable by Yorkist rebellion and pretenders to the throne but he established one of the most celebrated royal dynasties of the middle-ages and passed his crown to his son Henry VIII. Find out about his early life as an exile Lancastrian heir to the throne, see the impact on the city of York as it continued to prosper throughout his reign and enjoy interactive experiences exploring life and death in Tudor times. Children can get involved in our special Tudor camp featuring the gruesome bits Henry s history provided by Horrible Histories author, Terry Deary. Find out more about Henry s life and reign by following his timeline.

EXPLORE ONE OF THE MAJOR GATEWAYS TO THE CITY MICKLEGATE BAR Micklegate Bar has served as the main gateway to the city and the route through which serving monarchs have entered York for almost 1,000

3 EXPLORE ONE OF THE MAJOR GATEWAYS TO THE CITY MICKLEGATE BAR Micklegate Bar has served as the main gateway to the city and the route through which serving monarchs have entered York for almost 1,000 years. It has also been the place at which the heads of traitors have been displayed and where condemned prisoners spent their final days on the way to the gallows. EXPERIENCE THE 15TH AND 16TH CENTURY CITY OF YORK Henry VII first came to York in 1486, where the civic authorities welcomed him with magnificent pageantry. York s importance as a trading centre had grown in the medieval period, and although York s status as England s second city was being challenged at the time of Henry s first visit, its many craftsmen guilds continued to prosper throughout his reign.

4 TIMELINE OF HENRY VII HIS LIFE AND REIGN 1457 Born in Pembroke Castle, Wales, the only child of Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond and Margaret Beaufort, a direct descendant of Edward III Henry Tudor of Richmond is made a ward of Lord Herbert, a supporter of the newly crowned Yorkist King Edward IV Lord Herbert is defeated by the Lancastrians and executed by the Earl of Warwick, who now sides with Henry VI Henry VI regains the throne and Edward IV flees to Flanders Henry VI and his only son Edward die and Edward IV becomes King again. Henry of Richmond becomes the main Lancastrian claimant to the throne. His uncle Jasper Tudor takes him to safety in Brittany Following the death of Edward IV, his brother Richard claims the crown and Edward s two sons disappear mysteriously from the Tower. Enemies of Richard III begin to plot to replace him with Henry Tudor. Henry swears to marry Edward IV s daughter Elizabeth if he is made King Henry sails from France, landing in Wales. Henry and Richard meet in battle at Market Bosworth in Leicestershire, where Henry wins and is crowned King Henry marries Elizabeth of York and they have their first child, Arthur. 1487

5 Lambert Simnel claims to be Edward IV s nephew Edward of Warwick. Elizabeth is crowned Queen Yorkshire rebels against a new tax 1491 Perkin Warbeck claims to be Richard Duke of York, Edward IV s missing son. He makes various challenges to the throne but is executed in Henry VII s second son, Henry, the future Henry VIII, is born The treaty of Étaples is signed, making peace with France 1497 Rebellion breaks out in Cornwall Edward Earl of Warwick, the nephew of Richard III, is executed Arthur is married to Catherine of Aragon, arranged by the Treaty of Medina del Campo in Arthur dies and Henry becomes heir to the throne. The Treaty of Perpetual Peace is signed with Scotland in an attempt to stop the ongoing warfare between the two countries Elizabeth of York dies in childbirth Henry VII dies suddenly from a stroke.

6 YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YORK IN THE TIME OF HENRY VII HERE. YORK IN THE TIME OF HENRY VII Henry VII first came to York in 1486, a year after he had defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. The city had enjoyed an excellent relationship with the former king and such loyalty meant that Henry VII s representative was afraid to enter York two days after the battle. One year later, however, the city spent 66 on Henry s visit and presented him with a series of pageants and speeches along his route, all stressing his virtues and hereditary right to the throne. Henry returned to the city in 1487 following a minor rebellion after which the King bestowed titles and gifts on some of the leading citizens of York. Henry s troubles in York were not over; in 1489 further rebellion in York led to the murder of Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland. York was plagued by trouble and riots for the remainder of Henry s reign. In 1494, Henry VII told the mayor of York that if he could not keep order, I MUST AND WILL PUT IN OTHER RULERS THAT WILL RULE AND GOVERN THE CITY ACCORDING TO MY LAWS. Despite the troubles York remained an important trading centre throughout Henry s reign and the dominant class in the city continued to be freemen; the craftsmen, traders and shopkeepers. Guilds looked after the craftsmen and the many hospitals in the city at this time cared for the sick and acted as shelters for the poor, aged and needy. There were around thirty hospitals in the city by the time Henry VII came to the throne; four cared for those suffering from leprosy. As elsewhere, during the reign of Henry VII living conditions in the city left much to be desired. The paved streets of York had open gutters running through them and the city was notoriously dirty and smelly. By the 15th and 16th centuries, public lavatories had been provided on Ouse Bridge, which, along with the main sewer known as the King s Ditch, discharged directly into to the River Ouse. DISCOVER THE IMPACT THE LAST TUDOR MONARCH HAD ON THE CITY OF YORK AT THE HENRY VII EXPERIENCE AT MICKLEGATE BAR.

MICKLEGATE BAR Although Micklegate Bar is not on the site of the Roman gate from the colonia and excavations have shown that the Roman road runs a little to the south-west of it, the bar does

7 MICKLEGATE BAR Although Micklegate Bar is not on the site of the Roman gate from the colonia and excavations have shown that the Roman road runs a little to the south-west of it, the bar does incorporate re-used Roman stone and sarcophagi in the outer archway and side walls. Later Viking influence is suggested by its name which is from the Old Norse mykla gata meaning great street. The bar is first documented (as Micklelith) in the reign of Henry II ( ) and records indicate that in c.1196 a licence was granted to build a house over the gate. The outer façade gained its current appearance in c when it was heightened to house a portcullis and the barbican was added. During the Northern Rebellion of 1569, the Earl of Westmorland, who was leading the rebel forces, is supposed to have said that Micklegate Bar was the strongest bar, flanked by the strongest and highest wall, and that, therefore, an assault on it would be unwise. Despite some rebuilding in 1716 and 1737 the bar is still three storeys high. The barbican which originally projected fifty feet (15.24m) beyond the gateway was demolished in 1826, following its partial collapse in 1810 when it was reported that such parts thereof as are in a decayed ruinous and dangerous state to be immediately taken down. Two of the shields on the outer wall depict the arms of the City of York and a third bears the royal arms. All date to c and are probably the earliest surviving examples of the city s arms.

8 The three statues set on top of the bar are modern replacements of earlier statues, carved by R. Ridley in The original statues are first mentioned in 1603 when one was added or replaced and the rest painted for the forthcoming visit of James I, indicating that they existed before this time. MICKLEGATE BAR TODAY The Bar is the royal gateway to the city, welcoming Monarchs for centuries. The most recent royal visitor came through Micklegate Bar in 2012 when HM Queen Elizabeth II visited York as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Micklegate Bar will be focusing on its royal connections with opening of Henry VII Experience, where you will be able to discover the impact the first Tudor monarch had on the city.

The Tudor Myth. and the Place of the Stage

The Tudor Myth. and the Place of the Stage The Tudor Myth and the Place of the Stage Shakespeare s History Plays Two tetralogies (series of four plays): First Tetralogy (1590-93): Henry VI, parts 1,2 and 3 Richard III Second Tetralogy (1595-1599):