by A capricious and cruel autocrat doling out privileges and punishments, women struggling to get their way, the populist mob at the door – and despite it all, a decent man is, we hope, steering a dangerous course. The first two books of Hilary Mantel’s epic Wolf Hall trilogy became a BBC series in 2015, and now the six-part finale, The Mirror and The Light, is airing, charting the last years of Thomas Cromwell until his downfall Thomas Cromwell treats his tyrannical boss, Henry VIII.
In the locations where the original storyline took place and those used in the series, excitement is growing over a sharp increase in website traffic and visitors. The Tudors, it seems, is still box office gold. The Tower of London, where both Anne Boleyn and Cromwell ended their days, saw visitor numbers rise by more than a third in 2023. The story itself is booming, fueled by podcasts such as Empire, presented by Anita Anand and William Dalrymple, and Radio 4 You’re Dead to Me. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland from The Rest Is History podcast sold out London’s Royal Albert Hall in October. When a pair of thunderous historians are welcomed by rock stars, something significant happens. According to a survey conducted in May by rail booking agent Trainline, 75% of respondents hoped to visit a historic attraction in the coming year.
At Hampton Court Palace, a sharp rise in searches for Tudor material on the website suggests a coming storm of visitors. Not only was it a prime filming location in The Mirror and the Light, but Henry and Cromwell also dined in the Great Hall and discussed undoubtedly sensitive topics like wayward daughters and wife swapping.
“As a filmmaker who started out in documentaries,” says series director Peter Kosminsky, “filming in spaces that we know these characters were in: that is the touchstone of truthfulness and it has influenced all of us.”
It was notable that Damian Lewis and Claire Foy stood in the same spot as Henry and Anne
Peter Kosminsky
Hampton’s Great Hall has rarely been used for major television dramas, and has been for more than 50 years. “I love how quality drama captures the imagination of viewers,” says Tracy Borman, co-curator of Historic Royal Palaces and biographer of Cromwell. “Seeing the palace full of impeccably dressed Tudors is something I will never forget.”
For the intrigued viewer, it’s an obvious next step to see for yourself, perhaps an enjoyable continuation of the suspension of disbelief. Many other places also played host to Henry and his various wives; For example, Penshurst Place in Kent was used in the first series, Wolf Hall. “We know that Henry and Anne Boleyn entered the extraordinary Long Gallery,” says Kosminsky, whose use of handheld cameras in candlelit scenes set a new benchmark for period drama. “It was remarkable for Damian Lewis as Henry VIII and Claire Foy, who plays Anne, to be in the same place.”
At Penshurst Place they understand the importance of being a location. “We still get visitors who want to see where the sword fight took place in The Princess Bride,” says general manager Ben Thomas. “And that came out in 1987.”
However, the test of truthfulness may require unorthodox methods. “You have to remember,” says Kosminsky, “that we are dealing with buildings that have a patina of age. When Thomas Cromwell lived, they were new.”
For this reason, he wanted to film what he considered to be the series’ pivotal scene (at the end of the second episode) at Downside Abbey, a Victorian revival of the medieval Gothic style in Somerset. “They withdrew permission late on, so we went to Gloucester Cathedral instead and captured what I think is one of Mark Rylance’s best performances.”
But of all the series’ filming locations, where would the director of “The Mirror and the Light” spend a nice day? “Either Haddon Hall near Bakewell in Derbyshire or Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. Both perfect.”
Haddon is a fortified manor house dating back to the 11th century and has remained relatively unchanged since Henry’s visit. He brought with him a tapestry that still hangs in the banquet hall. The house is normally closed in winter, but the Christmas market, which runs until December 15th, offers the opportunity to take a look inside.
In Berkeley, halfway between Bristol and Gloucester, Henry took Anne Boleyn with him on her summer excursion in 1535. Owned by the same family since the 11th century, it is home to several important Tudor artefacts, including Elizabeth I’s bed cover and regular visitor Francis Drake’s sea chest. The castle will reopen on March 30, 2025.
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Historian Alice Loxton points out other Tudor treasures that were not used in filming but also make for inspiring visits. “Knole, near Sevenoaks, where Henry used to hunt, is a particular favorite of mine, and the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth.” She attributes the enduring appeal of the Tudors to larger-than-life characters, political intrigue and dramatic power struggles. “But the entire Wolf Hall series has breathed new life into our fascination with this period and its settings.”
The Mirror and the Light ends with the execution of Thomas Cromwell in 1540, presumably the victim of trumped-up accusations. But for anyone worried about the longevity of autocracies, there is some small consolation in the fact that within seven years their despotic tormentor will also be gone.
