Bradgate Manor House- Ruins

Sometime in the 15th century, the Grey family became owners of the Bradgate estate, and within the park are the remains of their home, Bradgate Manor House. They were influential nobles in Medieval and Tudor England, who married into the Royal family.

In the 1550s, the eldest daughter at the time, Lady Jane Grey, became Britain’s very young nine day Queen; a mesmerizing head-chopping story in itself.

Oddly enough, I was doing peripheral research on Lady Jane Grey for the adult novel I’m working on, and by accident, I discovered at the Bradgate site that later generations of the Grey family also became heavily embroiled in the Civil War of 1640-1646.

The very Civil War I was researching all along; the civil war that was the major background of one thread of my story. I’d come full circle in a funny sort of way without realizing there was even a link between two parts of my story.

At any rate, the ruins were impressive, as the house must have been at one time. The Chapel Lady Jane Grey worshipped in is still standing and contains a fine alabaster tomb of her father, Sir Henry Grey and his family.

The views from the house would have been similar to those seen by the Grey family and Lady Jane Grey all those years ago.

I've captured some of these views in the following blog, imagining the places where Lady Jane Grey walked as a young girl.