I was lucky enough to visit Bradgate in January 1996. I have many wonderful memories of my visit there. Has anyone visited recently? Does anyone have plans to go? Feel free to share your story...

-- Jennifer (mail@janegrey.com), July 04, 2000

Answers

Yes, I went to Bradgate in 1998 and I loved it. It was a cold May day and I enjoyed walking lonely through that romatic park. Later on a warden showed me around the ruins and explained everything. The visitor centre was somewhat disappointing and I still regret that I didn't buy that rather ugly plaster bust but now it's missing in my collection.

-- Martin Spies (martin.spies@student.uni-siegen.de), August 22, 2000.

i come from Leicester so from an early age i had strong feelings about bradgate park,my dad remembers all....i get a feeling like i have been there before,i know that sounds mad but its true,i have been to bradgate 100s of times,its a wounderfull place i have been in the parks museums and they are fantastic,as much as its a wounderfull place there is an essence of sadness,i have many storys of my own regarding lady Jane and bradgate park..

-- marie otter (m.otter@threestar.co.uk), September 13, 2000.

Marie, would love to hear some of your stories about Lady Jane. Jennifer, I was at Bradgate Park just two weeks ago. I am researching for a faction novel of which I am half way through. I was especially interested in the ruins and felt a lot coming through there. It is a remarkable setting and there is a certain tranquility there. I feel strongly about the sad demise of Lady Jane so innocent and, being of the male gender, chose to write my novel from a male point of view - that being John Aylmer, her beloveded schoolmaster. The lady in the visitor centre told me unfortunately the powers that be will not let them display copies of Jane's letters or such and that is why they are rather limited. I said I hope to change this by writing letters to various outlets and hope the publishing of my book will achieve something positive. I strongly belive Jane's body was eventually buried at Bradgate because Queen Mary Tudor forbade the burial of Protestents at the Tower of London chapel. Peter.

-- Peter Carroll (peter@daphne61.freeserve.co.uk), October 03, 2000.

Try < http://bradgatebooks.tripod > there could be information in the four books mentioned on this web page which will clarify everyones understanding of Bradgate Park. The author often visits the Grey/Earls of Stamford private archieve for indications as to how how the Bradgate Estate was managed.

-- David Ramsey (g3uaa0454@cwcom.net), January 19, 2001.

Hello- i have visited Bradgate Park so many times and i have always enjoyed it. I am only 14 but i have spent much of my time there because i live in Leicstershire and so it is easy to get to. I am actually on the internet now becaouse i am doing a project on Bradgate Parks at school, and now i know much more about the park than i did before. I always encourage friends to go, becouse you can go in all weather- i love going sledging in the winter. I hope you feel the same wey about the park as i do.

-- marta hari (natso81@hotmail.com), February 14, 2001.

Peter, I am curious why you think Lady Jane was buried at Bradgate? Is there any evidence indicating this other than Queen Mary did not want protestants buried in the Tower church of St. Peter Vinacula? I would love to hear your ideas. I myself have never had the chance to visit Bradgate but would love to one day. My interest in Lady Jane started in the same way many others' did - I say the Trevor Nunn film. Thanks in advance for your answer.

-- Miche Davis (micheldavis@hotmail.com), February 15, 2001.

Yes I went to Bradgate Park both today and yesterday as the winter sunlight was just right for photographs. Can After reading the messages above I must add that Lady Jane Grey is not buried at Bradgate and it would seem very likely that she was not born at Bradgate Park either. The Greys had a London house which was used far more frequently than Bradgate and Janes mother probably stayed there for the birth. Doctors living in the sticks were thought to have far less knowledge than those close to the court in London.

-- David Ramsey (r73@beeb.net), February 24, 2001.

Davis Ramsey is very confident Jane was not buried at Bradgate park but where is his evidence? Many references are made to her being born at Bradgate and, certainly, that would not have been a problem because the Grey's were rich enough to employ all the best physicians.

-- Peter Carroll (peter@daphne61.freeserve.co.uk), February 25, 2001.

Many writers place Lady Jane Grey's birth at Bradgate but this is due to her date of birth and date of death being made to fit a likely place of residence. Read carefully and you will find that all the writers make assumption that Jane was born at Bradgate, there are however no quoted documents to substantiate these claims - unless a reader knows otherwise!

-- David Ramsey (r73@beeb.net), February 26, 2001.

The body of Lady Jane Grey is buried in the Tower of London in the Church of St Peter. The stone marking her remains lies close to Thomas Moore. She was imprisoned in the Beaumont Tower before her execution.

-- David Ramsey (r73@beeb.net), February 27, 2001.

David Ramsey has it wrong about Lady Jane being imprisoned in Beaumont Tower. He husband, Guildford Dudley certainly was but Jane was in the Gentleman's Goal a little distance away. Her apartments, numbered 15, were on the top floor of the house and were very comfortable. Although mention is made of Jane's body being among those buried in the vaults of the Chapel Royal it has, despite investigations, never been verified. In Queen Victoria's day she had the floor uplifted because of her disgust that Royalty was simply placed under slabs in no special order. She made efforts to identify the bones discovered but it was never proved Lady Jane's were there. It is simply assumed - to this day - that they must have been. I have heard that further investigations are being carried out given the backing of modern technology which may bring something to light. I do agree with David though that no proof one way or the other can be substantiated that Jane Grey was born or buried at Bradgate. I am still searching for evidence and believe something has come to light which I will include in my novel. By the way, if anybody is interested in Good Queen Bess and her connection with John Aylmer, once Lady Jane's tutor then read my article page 81 in the March issue of Yours magazine.

-- Peter Carroll (peter@daphne61.freeserve.co.uk), February 28, 2001.

Take another trip to the Tower before you publish Peter.

-- David Ramsey (r73@beeb.net), February 28, 2001.

I have just noted that David Ramsey incorrectly made reference to a 'beaumont' Tower in the Tower of London. I think maybe he means the Beauchamp Tower? To which point does David refer when he suggests I should visit the Tower again before I publish. I am well informed by one of its present day residents and have ensured all my research is correct, but of course if David has any findings I will be glad to hear them.

-- Peter Carroll (peter@daphne61.freeserve.co.uk), March 03, 2001.

I actually visit quite regularly still but from the age of 10 until I was 30 lived in Newtown Linford, which is the village 'under' Bradgate. I also got married in the church next to the bottom entrance of the park where Lady Jane used to worship.

-- john m howitt (jmhowitt@hotmail.com), May 09, 2001.

my family and i visited bradgate park on 30-7 2001 it has been closed for 5 months due to foot and mouth.it looks like the closure done a lot of good,i cannot remember seeing the park look so beutiful for many years,we tried several times to get up to old john but each time we tried we had to turn back because the bracken had overgown the old path ways i hope people dont trample the bracken and stick to the main pathways.and please could some one tell me why old john is called that and where can i find a picture of the ruins of the house as it was,i also have two oil paintings of bradgate park painted in 1910 one of the wishing rock and one as you walk in through the newtown lindford gates

-- paul alexander (paul_1gb@yahoo.com), August 01, 2001.

I am now 66 and live in Australia. Until 1968 I lived only a few miles from Bradgate on the Anstey lane. In those days we kids could go out at 8-00am and come home just before dark without fear, during these wonderful days we would walk to Bradgate park and go in via the postern gate in Anstey and play in the park all day. What wonderful days they were with dozens of deer and hundreds of rabbits standing just outside our picnic lunch waiting for a slice of bread. If I started to tell you what fun we had and the imaginary games we played I would be writing for a month. The one thing in my life that draws me back to reality when I visit England is a visit to Bradgate Park. I wish I could tell you all about it but time is limited. John Wilson.

-- John Frederick Wilson (johnfwilson96@bigpond.com), October 30, 2001.

As a child Bradgate was often chosen as a day out, both with family and school, we always used the entrance where the Police Box is (was) situated. However, recently I happened to walk across the fields from Anstey and found that it a quite an improved approach as you enter in front of the house, closer to the original approach.

-- william gunby (williamdakin.gunby@btinternet.com), December 08, 2001.