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The castle is called Thornbury. This is one of the most beautiful places in England, and the only castle built in the era of the Tudors which was turned into a hotel.
On the Booking.com website, the castle is modestly called a "country house". But even the most pretentious mansions of Rublevka can't be compared with it, and "country house" isn't a fitting description. Its chic interiors keep so much history.
Thornbury was built in the first half of the 16th century and was intended for Edward Stafford, whose father rebelled against King Richard III in 1483 and then was executed, and his titles and property confiscated. Two years later, the new King Henry VII returned the heritage to Edward. The son suffered the same fate as his father: in 1521, the lord was accused of high treason and sentenced to death.
After Edward's death, King Henry VIII became the owner of the castle. He and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, spent August of 1535 in Thornbury. The room where the spouses allegedly slept is advertised on the site of the hotel under the motto "Sleep like royalty". By the way, almost every room has the royal bed, as in the photo.
The prestigious past did not help the castle during the English Revolution. He fell into decay. The building was restored almost two centuries later, in 1824, when it became the property of the noble family of Howards which, ironically, included the mother of Anna Boleyn and the fifth wife of Henry VIII Catherine.
In the second half of the 20th century, the building housed one of the best restaurants in the UK. Local drinks, served to guests, were from their own vineyards, they have been growing on the territory of home ownership for 500 years already. The famous wine of Thornbury Castle is obtained from the harvest.
In the hotel, you can play in the mysterious English game of "croquet". Among other entertainments: you can shoot from the bow or go on falconry (for an additional fee).
The room rate per night in the castle starts at 95 pounds. On Booking.com. guests are promised with "atmospheric bedrooms, delicious Sunday lunches, free Internet access, crackling fire and many historical details, including armor."
In Thornbury there is a possibility to stay with children, though, if only they are older than eight years. Tripadvisor users rated their stay in Thornbury 4.5 out of 5, Booking.com - 8.9 out of 10, Google experts gave it 4.4 out of 5.
The castle is constantly held weddings. And it seems that no one is bothered by the history of Henry VIII and Anna Boleyn, whose images are actively used to attract tourists to the castle. Boleyn lost the king's love, was accused of adultery and beheaded in the Tower in May 1536. In the end, it doesn't matter what happened five hundred years ago.
The prestigious magazine Architectural Digest has published a ranking of the world's most beautiful palaces. Let us take a look at the buildings that topped this list
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