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Houses of Power: The Places That Shaped The Tudor World
'Excellent . . . Fresh, learned, readable and full of life' Dan Jones, Mail on Sunday
Houses of Power is the result of Simon Thurley's thirty years of research, picking through architectural digs, and examining financial accounts, original plans and drawings to reconstruct the great Tudor houses and understand how these monarchs shaped their lives.
________
What was it like to live as a royal Tudor?
Why were their residences built as they were and what went on inside their walls?
Who slept where and with who?
Who chose the furnishings?
And what were their passions?
________
The Tudors ruled through the day, throughout the night, in the bath, in bed and in the saddle. Their palaces were genuine power houses - the nerve-centre of military operations, the boardroom for all executive decisions and the core of international politics.
Far more than simply an architectural history - a study of private life as well as politics, diplomacy and court - it gives an entirely new and remarkable insight into the Tudor world.
Houses of Power is the result of Simon Thurley's thirty years of research, picking through architectural digs, and examining financial accounts, original plans and drawings to reconstruct the great Tudor houses and understand how these monarchs shaped their lives.
________
What was it like to live as a royal Tudor?
Why were their residences built as they were and what went on inside their walls?
Who slept where and with who?
Who chose the furnishings?
And what were their passions?
________
The Tudors ruled through the day, throughout the night, in the bath, in bed and in the saddle. Their palaces were genuine power houses - the nerve-centre of military operations, the boardroom for all executive decisions and the core of international politics.
Far more than simply an architectural history - a study of private life as well as politics, diplomacy and court - it gives an entirely new and remarkable insight into the Tudor world.
480 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2017
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272 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 14, 2020
Henry Tudor, Sons & Daughters. Builders established 1485: Experienced in palaces, large country estates, stables and interior design.
Simon Thurley's enjoyable account of the Tudors certainly shows them as builders, who in (mostly) south east England, shaped their Court and Government through the location, design and operation of their houses.
Mr Thurley is a very able guide and companion. He is a hugely experienced academic, author and architectural historian and curator, who importantly for the reader, was Inspector of Ancient Monuments for English Heritage and then Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, where he undertook a number of surveys, archaeological digs and studies to help understand how the Tudors used their buildings.
His insight, the records he compiled during his time at Hampton Court, Windsor and others, alongside other documents & sources, notably financial accounts and inventories from Henrician and Elizabethan court. Through these he is able to show the uses of these houses, including Westminster, Baynards Castle, Greenwich and Richmond, shaped Government. What is fascinating and central to the book's title and content is the building, improvements and changes made throughout the Tudor dynasty.
Henry VII started the building firm adapting those houses and palace he took on accession and set the way his Government and Court would work. Next came Henry VIII, and the real changes in number and size of houses. He created houses, refurbished others and traded, bought or simply took others including swathes of land and forest. His expenditure was enormous and the appetite for presenting wealth in possessions and the size of houses was also. The levels of craftsmanship employed were highly-skilled with huge numbers of trades employed. Changes were made and often re-changed, especially as wives changed.
His son Edward VI, who would have been a great builder himself, had he not died so young, was like his father interested in architecture. Mary is also covered and her story is entwined with naturally her father's and brother's.
Elizabeth follows, and whilst not a builder on any scale like her father, she brought a level of opulence and finery that showed her and her court as powerful and influential. We see Elizabeth as a powerful monarch meeting foreign envoys and emissaries as well as her close circle of advisors and those she favoured and could have married (Duke of Anjou). Bathing and toilet habits are all mentioned and how the technology and influences changed (flushing water and Ottoman designs).
As we read of the changes to the palace, castles and houses we are shown the designs and plans for the houses. The way the houses are used; why they function in design and day-to-day; who slept where and why; where food was prepared, cooked and served; hunting and transport - so horses, hounds and the equipment used and where the animals lived; the infrastructure to support the royal progresses (carts, cupboards, trunks, boxes, strongboxes, beds, etc.). Repairs, designs and newly built gardens, water features (that were a key part of supplying the house, including water closets and Garde robes) and amazingly grand landing stages on the Thames to how money, jewels and treasurer were used, stored and transported. All of this shown in cost, value and volume.
Houses of Power reinforces the Tudors as a influential and powerful dynasty at the heart of England's royal story, but also shows how they lived publicly and behind closed doors in the houses.
Simon Thurley's enjoyable account of the Tudors certainly shows them as builders, who in (mostly) south east England, shaped their Court and Government through the location, design and operation of their houses.
Mr Thurley is a very able guide and companion. He is a hugely experienced academic, author and architectural historian and curator, who importantly for the reader, was Inspector of Ancient Monuments for English Heritage and then Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, where he undertook a number of surveys, archaeological digs and studies to help understand how the Tudors used their buildings.
His insight, the records he compiled during his time at Hampton Court, Windsor and others, alongside other documents & sources, notably financial accounts and inventories from Henrician and Elizabethan court. Through these he is able to show the uses of these houses, including Westminster, Baynards Castle, Greenwich and Richmond, shaped Government. What is fascinating and central to the book's title and content is the building, improvements and changes made throughout the Tudor dynasty.
Henry VII started the building firm adapting those houses and palace he took on accession and set the way his Government and Court would work. Next came Henry VIII, and the real changes in number and size of houses. He created houses, refurbished others and traded, bought or simply took others including swathes of land and forest. His expenditure was enormous and the appetite for presenting wealth in possessions and the size of houses was also. The levels of craftsmanship employed were highly-skilled with huge numbers of trades employed. Changes were made and often re-changed, especially as wives changed.
His son Edward VI, who would have been a great builder himself, had he not died so young, was like his father interested in architecture. Mary is also covered and her story is entwined with naturally her father's and brother's.
Elizabeth follows, and whilst not a builder on any scale like her father, she brought a level of opulence and finery that showed her and her court as powerful and influential. We see Elizabeth as a powerful monarch meeting foreign envoys and emissaries as well as her close circle of advisors and those she favoured and could have married (Duke of Anjou). Bathing and toilet habits are all mentioned and how the technology and influences changed (flushing water and Ottoman designs).
As we read of the changes to the palace, castles and houses we are shown the designs and plans for the houses. The way the houses are used; why they function in design and day-to-day; who slept where and why; where food was prepared, cooked and served; hunting and transport - so horses, hounds and the equipment used and where the animals lived; the infrastructure to support the royal progresses (carts, cupboards, trunks, boxes, strongboxes, beds, etc.). Repairs, designs and newly built gardens, water features (that were a key part of supplying the house, including water closets and Garde robes) and amazingly grand landing stages on the Thames to how money, jewels and treasurer were used, stored and transported. All of this shown in cost, value and volume.
Houses of Power reinforces the Tudors as a influential and powerful dynasty at the heart of England's royal story, but also shows how they lived publicly and behind closed doors in the houses.
January 5, 2022
Superb read, what a fascinating book. For Tudor or history nerds, like myself, this is such a treat. Excellent. Highly recommended
May 9, 2023
Part royal history, part architectural history, and part social history. My faves. My heart and soul belong in the palaces of England so being able to delve into their history and secrets is always a treat!
August 28, 2025
It might be a bit of an embarrassing admission about yourself to broadcast that you are interested in the minutiae of the everyday life of a small handful of very eccentric people. Since the advent of reality TV in general and Big Brother - or whichever of the clones was first - in particular, you are simply labeling yourself as a fan of the lowest form of entertainment, at least if you ask, well, me. But no more, my friend! Simon Thurley comes to rescue and as long as your handful of eccentric people includes the Tudor monarchs and their closes family, you've elegantly pivoted all the way from the lowest to the exalted - and we can talk.
Houses of Power takes the smallest possible amount of the Tudor history needed to put a book about their architectural history in context. The book really focuses on the building boom during the rule of this particular dynasty, boom in the sense of securing comfortable lives for themselves. Maps, plans and illustrations heavily feature on the pages, which focus both on the description of architecture as well as highlighting how it evolved to meet the tastes and personalities of this or that monarch.
What I believed helped me to enjoy this rather niche topic even more were two things. Having read the excellent Matthew Shardlake series by SANSOM C J, I felt a bit familiar with the history already, and the Tudor world felt much more homey. Furthermore, having recently stumbled upon the excellent YouTube miniseries by Ed Pratt "Source To Sea" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyrjj...), where he covers the whole of the river Thames without leaving it, I was also a bit more familiar with many of the surviving houses discussed in the book, as they appear in the videos. Neither of these is required before you get down to the House of Power, but, given the high enjoyment I derived from them, I cannot recommend them strong enough.
Houses of Power is a Tudor history from a very specific angle, worthy of pursuing for all fans of these famous times.
Houses of Power takes the smallest possible amount of the Tudor history needed to put a book about their architectural history in context. The book really focuses on the building boom during the rule of this particular dynasty, boom in the sense of securing comfortable lives for themselves. Maps, plans and illustrations heavily feature on the pages, which focus both on the description of architecture as well as highlighting how it evolved to meet the tastes and personalities of this or that monarch.
What I believed helped me to enjoy this rather niche topic even more were two things. Having read the excellent Matthew Shardlake series by SANSOM C J, I felt a bit familiar with the history already, and the Tudor world felt much more homey. Furthermore, having recently stumbled upon the excellent YouTube miniseries by Ed Pratt "Source To Sea" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyrjj...), where he covers the whole of the river Thames without leaving it, I was also a bit more familiar with many of the surviving houses discussed in the book, as they appear in the videos. Neither of these is required before you get down to the House of Power, but, given the high enjoyment I derived from them, I cannot recommend them strong enough.
Houses of Power is a Tudor history from a very specific angle, worthy of pursuing for all fans of these famous times.
September 17, 2025
"We may think of historic houses as the mute stage sets before which the drama of politics unfolds, but in Simon Thurley’s vivid account of the great houses of the Tudors, the buildings are themselves political players. The building and decoration of palaces and houses were important political statements, marking key aspects of Tudor policy, moulding the royal image and embodying the transactions of government. The joy of this book is that it takes a familiar story and embeds it in the mudflats of the Thames on iron-tipped elm piles 12-feet long. The pretensions of this wayward dynasty take on a new solidity when given expression in wood, stone and plaster.
"Thurley suggests that the Tudor claim to the throne might itself be said to have begun in 1453 with the royal gift of Baynard’s Castle in London to Edmund Tudor, father of the future Henry VII. By granting his half-brother this impressive mansion, Henry VI validated Edmund’s royal status as effectively as he did by making him Earl of Richmond. That title would in due course be used to christen Richmond Palace, his son’s great residence by the Thames. It was here that Henry VII spelled out his magnificence as king in bricks, glass, tapestry and cloth of gold.
"Some of these palaces we still know today: Windsor Castle, the Tower of London, Hampton Court, St James’s Palace. Many have since been concealed beneath the architectural accretions of later centuries: Greenwich, Whitehall, Woodstock, Eltham. Some, like the palaces of Richmond, Oatlands or Nonsuch, have vanished altogether. They are brought to life again in this book, which provides plenty of plans for us to pore over. In this, it appears, we are emulating the Tudor monarchs responsible for these buildings, who took a close interest in their design and construction. Henry VIII, in particular, seems to have spent much of his life in a building site. Architecture was a shared passion with Anne Boleyn, as they planned and oversaw the building of Whitehall Palace together. After Henry’s death, in a closet next to his bedchamber there were found to be scissors, a pair of compasses, two rulers and a steel drawing pen, alongside two designs for bridges. Elizabeth I, for her part, was fond of planning gardens and fountains."
The above is from the July 14th, 2017 review in The Times Literary Supplement - is all I can quote because the rest is hidden behind paywalls so I haven't a link.
But it dose sum up well the strengths of this book, the authors wide knowledge and experience with the Tudor period and its buildings but it can't avoid the fact that the most important scenes of Tudor history took place in buildings that no longer exist - Greenwich, Richmond, Whitehall, etc. If anyone can bring these places to life again it is Simon Thurley but this is a book for those who know at least a modicum of the period history.
"Thurley suggests that the Tudor claim to the throne might itself be said to have begun in 1453 with the royal gift of Baynard’s Castle in London to Edmund Tudor, father of the future Henry VII. By granting his half-brother this impressive mansion, Henry VI validated Edmund’s royal status as effectively as he did by making him Earl of Richmond. That title would in due course be used to christen Richmond Palace, his son’s great residence by the Thames. It was here that Henry VII spelled out his magnificence as king in bricks, glass, tapestry and cloth of gold.
"Some of these palaces we still know today: Windsor Castle, the Tower of London, Hampton Court, St James’s Palace. Many have since been concealed beneath the architectural accretions of later centuries: Greenwich, Whitehall, Woodstock, Eltham. Some, like the palaces of Richmond, Oatlands or Nonsuch, have vanished altogether. They are brought to life again in this book, which provides plenty of plans for us to pore over. In this, it appears, we are emulating the Tudor monarchs responsible for these buildings, who took a close interest in their design and construction. Henry VIII, in particular, seems to have spent much of his life in a building site. Architecture was a shared passion with Anne Boleyn, as they planned and oversaw the building of Whitehall Palace together. After Henry’s death, in a closet next to his bedchamber there were found to be scissors, a pair of compasses, two rulers and a steel drawing pen, alongside two designs for bridges. Elizabeth I, for her part, was fond of planning gardens and fountains."
The above is from the July 14th, 2017 review in The Times Literary Supplement - is all I can quote because the rest is hidden behind paywalls so I haven't a link.
But it dose sum up well the strengths of this book, the authors wide knowledge and experience with the Tudor period and its buildings but it can't avoid the fact that the most important scenes of Tudor history took place in buildings that no longer exist - Greenwich, Richmond, Whitehall, etc. If anyone can bring these places to life again it is Simon Thurley but this is a book for those who know at least a modicum of the period history.
August 7, 2019
This book opens up the world of the Tudor Palace and Tudor building. Attention to detail is outstanding and one’s understanding of the Tudor court is enormously enhanced.
There is a particular focus on Henry VIII’s construction of Whitehall Palace and his ambitious appropriation and shaping of Hampton Court. There’s also a welcome meditation on the magnificent Nonsuch Palace, called Nonsuch because there was none such like it. I really wish this incredibly ornate edifice had survived the challenges of time.
Wonderful drawings, sketches and paintings accompany the text to help orientate the reader and fascinate the eye. One realises just how important the Tudors were as builders, with Henry VIII taking pride of place, his addiction to Grand houses and palaces every bit as muscular as his Holbein portraiture. Definitely worth a read; helps you to understand the psychology of the Tudor mind.
There is a particular focus on Henry VIII’s construction of Whitehall Palace and his ambitious appropriation and shaping of Hampton Court. There’s also a welcome meditation on the magnificent Nonsuch Palace, called Nonsuch because there was none such like it. I really wish this incredibly ornate edifice had survived the challenges of time.
Wonderful drawings, sketches and paintings accompany the text to help orientate the reader and fascinate the eye. One realises just how important the Tudors were as builders, with Henry VIII taking pride of place, his addiction to Grand houses and palaces every bit as muscular as his Holbein portraiture. Definitely worth a read; helps you to understand the psychology of the Tudor mind.
October 12, 2018
Palaces
I have just finished reading this fantastic book . There is so much information in here that you feel like you can visualise the houses being discussed . If I could travel back in time , it would be to Tudor England to actually see these palaces for myself .
I have been lucky enough to visit Hampton Court twice and as reading this book could think about the bits I saw .
I would recommend any Tudor lover to read this as there is lots to learn as you read it .
I have just finished reading this fantastic book . There is so much information in here that you feel like you can visualise the houses being discussed . If I could travel back in time , it would be to Tudor England to actually see these palaces for myself .
I have been lucky enough to visit Hampton Court twice and as reading this book could think about the bits I saw .
I would recommend any Tudor lover to read this as there is lots to learn as you read it .
April 15, 2021
A genuinely fascinating look at the changing landscape of Tudor architecture. Simon Thurley's career has given him an entirely unique insight into the lives of the Tudor monarchs, and into the houses they built, remodeled, and redecorated to better suit their changing needs.
April 25, 2022
The title is a literal description – this isn’t about royal or noble families – it is about the physical structures that the Tudors operated in as they exercised their power, and how those physical places assisted the execution of their power.
First and foremost, we start at the Tower of London, built by the Normans to shock and awe the Saxons, and then went on to be in full use for many, many reasons of state for the next thousand years. This was an important building for the Tudors, although this is also the time period where we see the shift away from using it as a royal residence.
The first structure we examine closely is the Jewel Tower of Westminster Palace, the storeroom for important royal regalia, where Richard III would have fetched his crown to bring with him to the Battle of Bosworth – where it promptly falls off his very dead head and lands in the hands of the now-king Henry Tudor.
As Thurley describes the beginning of Henry VII, he points out the simple but (I thought) mind blowing fact that the king of England had only spent a few hours in all his 27 years in the main royal palace – all of the palaces, castles, manors, and other crown properties were unknown to him. As he was starting his administration, he was also learning the basic physical layout of what was now his. Considering how historians laud how well he started getting to work, this is an impressive feat, and quite the handicap to quickly overcome.
Following the money, Thurley shows that clothe was more important than furniture – stools and furniture frames were purchased for low amounts, but the big-ticket items of the royal budget were the tapestries that were hung on the walls – a detail I don’t think any Tudor tv show or movie has properly showcased.
Overall, Henry VII’s buildings show how he both wanted to “prove” he was the rightful king with shows of opulence in the overall structures, but was very worried about security, as he made the king’s person harder access with more layers of rooms added between him and the court than previous kings.
Henry VIII comes to the throne and in the beginning of his reign most of the major building projects were being pursued by Wolsey, the properties eventually coming to Henry VIII at Wolse’s downfall. This is where Henry VIII becomes very interested in expanding royal architecture, building new palaces and expanding on the church property he grabs when he declares himself head of the English church.
Other historians often mention of Henry VIII’s building mania in his later reign (Nonsuch, especially, since it acts as such a perfect metaphor if his mid-life crisis), but Thurley really digs into the details, explaining the archaeology of the work – some of which he was part of – and showing in detailed drawings how the new buildings of Henry VIII’s reign were laid out, showing the intense desire to overwhelm guests with his majesty.
Neither Edward VI or Mary I spent long enough on the throne to have a chance to do any major building projects, nut both certainly made a point to make lots of changes to interior decorations in terms of what each thought was the “right” way to furnish churches and chapels.
Finally, Elizabeth I comes to the throne and throughout her long reign she frugally did not waste money she didn’t have on creating new buildings, but rather, constantly remodeling and renovating the palaces, manors, castles, and other buildings she inherited.
The Tudors left their mark on England in many ways, not the least of which was in the architecture, much of which stands today.
December 1, 2020
I'm not a real fan of the Tudors although I know many are, my late wife being one of them. I found this book amongst her collection and found it a fascinating and different take on, probably, the most written about royal house in British history. It looks at the various monarchs through the buildings they had constructed and lived in from the development of Whitehall Palace and Hampton Court to lesser known buildings such as Nonsuch. The reader is told how they were organised into a King's side and a Queen's side and the sometimes enormous sums expended. Simon Thurley, a one time CEO of English Heritage and an archaeologist who has excavated many sites is an ideal guide. The book is copiously illustrated with many plans and with as near contemporary drawings as is possible.
August 17, 2021
The insight and level of detail is unmatchable, but two dings for me. First, there's a lot about how the Tudor world shaped and reshaped places but not much in the other direction. I was expecting something about the urban political geography of the Tudor era from the title. Second, daaaaaamn, this book chronological approach is relentless, and unless you're an absolute facilities management junkie it's going to have sections you care less about than others. I think a thematic rather than chronological approach ("Chapter 6: Gardens. Chapter 7: Servants") with each chapter covering the whole span, would have been better.
April 10, 2022
Loved it!!!! I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I thought reading about architectural history would be boring. Just reading about what a place looked like seemed like it would get old quickly but the book had so much more than that. The book also explained how the palaces were run. It also talked about the courts and monarchs daily lives. The book gave you a better understanding of what court was like from moving from one palace to the next. The logistics of feeding the court, having enough rooms for everyone and then moving the whole court on progress sounded so complicated and crazy. Definitely recommend this book!
October 29, 2022
BOOK REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a great addition to Tudor history, delving into places whose names echo through the ages (Eltham, Woodstock, Hatfield, Richmond, Greenwich, Hampton Court, Windsor, and “Nonsuch”, for example) but whose fabric has long gone (in most cases). I loved this additional perspective on how the Tudors built, changed and lived in these nearly mythical places.
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2022 Reviewed 📚 52
What a great addition to Tudor history, delving into places whose names echo through the ages (Eltham, Woodstock, Hatfield, Richmond, Greenwich, Hampton Court, Windsor, and “Nonsuch”, for example) but whose fabric has long gone (in most cases). I loved this additional perspective on how the Tudors built, changed and lived in these nearly mythical places.
#bibliophile #book #bookish #booklover #books #books2022 #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookworm #homelibrary #instabook #instabooks #reader #readers #reading #readingroom #readersofinstagram #bookreview
2022 Reviewed 📚 52
March 3, 2024
Lots of plans!
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