Channel 5 - Walking Tudor England (2021) Part 1 The South Coast

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb wends her way around the country on the trail of history's most fascinating dynasty. Journeying around England on the trail of the Tudor dynasty, historian Suzannah Lipscomb explores some of the most significant sites of that fascinating time. England underwent huge changes during the reigns of three generations of Tudor monarchs. The Tudor period lasted from 1485 to 1603, it was a time of great upheaval and change, as Henry VII and his successors sought to reshape English society. But despite all the drama and intrigue, the Tudors also left behind some amazing historical landmarks. In the 16th century, the great country house came into its own, when some of the most famous and impressive mansions in England – including Longleat and Burghley House – were built. In this six-part series written and presented by Suzannah for Channel 5, she walks the South Coast, through Yorkshire, the Weald, East Anglia, London and the Midlands to explore Tudor stories and places.

Part 1 The South Coast
Suzannah Lipscomb walks around the country on the trail of the Tudor dynasty. She begins in Hampshire, walking the coast from Southsea to Southampton. To this day, Portsmouth is home to the Royal Navy, whilst Southampton is one of Britain's great trading ports. Suzannah's walk begins at Southsea Castle, where Henry VIII in 1545 watched as his flagship Mary Rose sank in the waters of Solent. Both ship and castle were part of his ground-breaking defence plans to fortify the south coast, and establish England as a naval superpower. Suzannah encounters the fortifications of Old Portsmouth, the home of Henry's revolutionary Tudor navy, and gets a lesson from a Tudor blacksmith. Episode 1 takes Suzannah to the south coast to explore how Henry VIII transformed England into a naval power. She starts at Southsea Castle to the Mary Rose at Portsmouth, via the village of Little Woodham, before reaching Lee on the Solent, and ending up at Southampton, a port which flourished under Elizabeth I.

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