Wulfhall
Encyclopedia
Wulfhall or Wolfhall is an early 17th century manor house
and the site of a deserted medieval village
in the civil parish
of Burbage
(previously Grafton
, previously Great Bedwyn
), on the edge of Savernake Forest
, in the English
county of Wiltshire
. The previous manor house was the seat
of the Seymour family, one of whom was Jane Seymour
, Queen to King Henry VIII
.
The Seymours reached the peak of their influence in the 16th century, when Jane Seymour
became the third wife
of King Henry VIII
. Their son became Edward VI
and ruled England from 1547 to 1553. At the beginning of Edward's reign, he was nine years old and his eldest uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
, was Lord High Protector of England, while another uncle, Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
, married Henry VIII's widow, Catherine Parr
; both Edward and Thomas Seymour were executed for treason
.
Henry VIII had stayed at Wulfhall during his progress of 1535, which may have been when he first noticed Jane Seymour and began the process of throwing over his second wife, Anne Boleyn
. One historian suggests that Henry and Jane had a wedding feast at Wulfhall, although they were married in the Queen's Closet at Whitehall Palace.
Wulfhall was "derelict and abandoned after 1571" as the family had moved out to nearby Tottenham
Park. It was used as servant accommodation until seriously reduced in size in the 1660s and finally demolished in 1723. A few ruins survived until the beginning of the 20th century, but nothing now remains of the once great house. The famous barn, where King Henry and Queen Jane supposedly celebrated their marriage, burnt down in the 1920s.
, the Man Booker Prize-winning novel by English author Hilary Mantel
.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
and the site of a deserted medieval village
Deserted medieval village
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the convention is to regard the site as deserted; if there are more...
in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Burbage
Burbage, Wiltshire
Burbage is a village and civil parish in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire, England. It is about south of Marlborough and west of Newbury.-Local government:...
(previously Grafton
Grafton, Wiltshire
Grafton is a civil parish about southeast of Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. The parish includes the village of East Grafton and the hamlets of West Grafton, Marten, Wexcombe, Wilton and Wolfhall...
, previously Great Bedwyn
Great Bedwyn
Great Bedwyn is a village and civil parish in the east of the English county of Wiltshire.-Location:Great Bedwyn is on the River Dun about south-west of Hungerford and south-east of Marlborough, Wiltshire. The Kennet and Avon Canal and the West of England Main Line railway follow the Dun and pass...
), on the edge of Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest is on a Cretaceous chalk plateau between Marlborough and Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, England. Its area is approximately .It is privately owned by the Trustees of Savernake Estate, the Earl of Cardigan, and his family solicitor. Since 1939 the running of the forest has been...
, in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. The previous manor house was the seat
Family seat
A seat or family seat is the principal residence of a family. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families took their dynasty name from their family seat , or named their family seat after their own dynasty...
of the Seymour family, one of whom was Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
, Queen to King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Late medieval and Tudor manor house
The medieval manor house was probably a timber framed double courtyard house, incorporating a tower (demolished 1569), a long gallery and a chapel.The Seymours reached the peak of their influence in the 16th century, when Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
became the third wife
Wives of Henry VIII
The wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort married to Henry VIII of England between 1509 and 1547. The six women to hold the title 'queens consort' of King Henry VIII were, in order:* Catherine of Aragon ,* Anne Boleyn ,...
of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. Their son became Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
and ruled England from 1547 to 1553. At the beginning of Edward's reign, he was nine years old and his eldest uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
, was Lord High Protector of England, while another uncle, Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, KG was an English politician.Thomas spent his childhood in Wulfhall, outside Savernake Forest, in Wiltshire. Historian David Starkey describes Thomas thus: 'tall, well-built and with a dashing beard and auburn hair, he was irresistible to women'...
, married Henry VIII's widow, Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
; both Edward and Thomas Seymour were executed for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
.
Henry VIII had stayed at Wulfhall during his progress of 1535, which may have been when he first noticed Jane Seymour and began the process of throwing over his second wife, Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. One historian suggests that Henry and Jane had a wedding feast at Wulfhall, although they were married in the Queen's Closet at Whitehall Palace.
Wulfhall was "derelict and abandoned after 1571" as the family had moved out to nearby Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
Park. It was used as servant accommodation until seriously reduced in size in the 1660s and finally demolished in 1723. A few ruins survived until the beginning of the 20th century, but nothing now remains of the once great house. The famous barn, where King Henry and Queen Jane supposedly celebrated their marriage, burnt down in the 1920s.
Present manor house
The present manor house dates back to the early 17th century. It started life as a simple farm house, but was expanded in the 18th centurty and has a Victorian facade.In fiction
Wulfhall is the inspiration for the title of Wolf HallWolf Hall
Wolf Hall is a multi-award winning historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate. Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, Wolf Hall is a fictionalized biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex in the court of Henry VIII of...
, the Man Booker Prize-winning novel by English author Hilary Mantel
Hilary Mantel
Hilary Mary Mantel CBE , née Thompson, is an English novelist, short story writer and critic. Her work, ranging in subject from personal memoir to historical fiction, has been short-listed for major literary awards...
.