#TudorRun
My pledge for 2016 is to see more of my own country and learn more about its history. To my shame, I’ve been to places all around the world but I’ve barely left the south east of England. I’ve started off well, spending the period between christmas and new years walking the Offa’s Dyke trail in Wales. Now I plan a little run through one of our most famous periods in history, the reign of the Tudors and the notorious king Henry VIII and I’d like you to join me!
Easter weekend I am setting off on my 240 mile #TudorRun. I will be running 240 odd miles from Bosworth near Leicester to London visiting all the palaces/castles/battlegrounds/burial grounds/places of interest that tell the stories and history of the Tudor monarchy.
I'll be camping overnight and starting the run at Bosworth battle ground whilst there is a medieval army camp reenactment festival planned. This was the last battle in the war of the Roses in which king Richard III, the king that was dug up from under a car park in Leicester 2 years ago, lost in battle to the first Tudor monarch, King Henry VII in 1485.
I’ll run to Leicester to the car park where King Richard III was found and to the cathedral where he was re-interned and pay a visit to the King Richard III visitors centre.
I’ll then turn south, running towards London stopping off at all the places related to the Tudors, giving you a little history lesson of what I’m learning along the way and showing you with pictures and film what is actually still there to see from this period, more than 500 years later.
Through London I’ll be visiting the key historic buildings of Windsor castle, Hampton court Palace and the Tower of London among others as they all have stories from the Tudors to tell. I’ll end my run where the Tudor monarchy ended, at Westminster Abbey and the resting place for the virgin queen, Elizabeth I.
This run will take me 2 weeks, running between 12-15 miles each day and touring each of the venues I visit giving you little history lesson along the way. I’ll be sharing with you what I’m seeing and learning about Tudor history. I’d love for anyone to join me along the way. Nearer the time I’ll be publishing a schedule so you can see where I’ll be to come along. I’m also keen to pop into any schools along the way and will be doing google hangouts so that school children across the pond can see what an incredible history we have. I want to show you how much of the history you were taught at school is still actually there to see and bring the past into today.
Now some honesty, I’m not a runner, this challenge terrifies me. I’ve run one half marathon before in my life and that was over a year ago. I find running really hard, especially on when on my own and I am injury prone. To complete this mini expedition will be a challenge for my mind and body. Having said that, I didn’t even own a bike before I set off on my iron curtain expedition and I’m a big believer that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. So here it goes!
Bringing 1485 into 2016!