Essex Book Festival heads to Layer Marney Tower this June for a fascinating romp through the crown’s past. Who can resist that?
By Ros Green, Essex Book Festival director
‘Not everyone knows that Henry VIII came to stay at Layer Marney Tower in August 1522. Extraordinary, as it must have been a building site,' says owner Sheila Charrington, who first took up residence at Layer Marney Tower in 1989, following her marriage to Nicholas Charrington. Nicholas was born there; his parents bought the Tower from absentee owners in the 1950s.
Layer Marney Tower was built in 1520 by Henry, 1st Lord Marney, a loyal friend of Henry VIII. It is a statement house that boasts England’s tallest Tudor gatehouse, with commanding views over the River Blackwater and beyond.
It is difficult to convey the sublime beauty of the place. The sense that time has stood still, and that Henry VIII and his entourage, a mighty cast of hundreds, might burst down the lane at any moment commanding not just the view but also a major production. Both for the honoured owners and the royal officers who were already in situ making sure that everything was in place for the royal visit, including a mountain of provisions. Henry famously not being one to hold back on his victuals. Roast swan, anyone?
Scroll forward 500 years, and what is it like living in such a remarkable building that has so many stories to tell? ‘It’s lots of fun, busy, and we love learning new things about the house,’ Sheila replies.
With a constant stream of weddings, concerts, nature trails and more in the Tower diary, ‘busy’ seems something of an understatement. Still, help is at hand to steady the Tower. Sheila and Nicholas are supported by a great team who, in Sheila’s words, keep them both ‘up to scratch.’
And as for sharing her family home with the public, some people may find that a challenge. Not Sheila, ‘A place of this size and beauty needs to be shared. It feels alive when it is full of happy people.’
Festival line-up
It is certainly going to be full of happy people on Sunday June 26 as Layer Marney Tower teams up with Essex Book Festival to host a special History Day as part of this year’s Book Festival programme.
Sheila explains how this year’s literary collaboration differs from previous years, not least because it is taking place in the daytime, and in June not March: ‘This is the first year we have made a day of it. With three authors invited while the house is open, it means that people can hear them talk, wander round the garden, climb the tower, look at our exhibitions, grab a bite to eat and then enjoy another talk. They are all history-based and it seems the perfect setting.’
As for the programme itself. The day begins with Julia Abel Smith, who will be talking about her book Forbidden Wife: The Life and Trials of Lady Augusta Murray. The compelling and poignant story of Lady Augusta Murray, whose marriage to a prince was declared illegal, is set in the reigns of Kings George III and IV against the dramatic backdrop of Europe and America in the age of revolution.
Next up is Tracy Borman, leading historian and joint chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces. Tracy will be discussing her latest book, Crown and Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, which looks at the history and evolution of the monarchy from 1066 to the present day. This will be followed by Sunday Times best-selling author Andrew Lownie, who will be talking about Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. More from Andrew soon...
The excellent news is that anyone attending any or all of the above events gets a free pass to visit Layer Marney Tower. For more information and to book tickets, visit essexbookfestival.org.uk. To find out more about visiting the wonderful Layer Marney Tower, go to layermarneytower.co.uk
Meet best-selling author Andrew Lownie
What prompted you to write Traitor King at this point in time?
Traitor King is the second in a trilogy looking at unusual royal marriages. I had long thought that the Windsors’ life after the abdication justified closer scrutiny, especially the question of their dealings with the Nazis. I also suspected it was not the great love affair that it was usually depicted as.
How did you go about researching it and how long did it take?
I researched and wrote it in two years during lockdown, with a full-time job and with many archives closed. However, I was able to obtain many documents digitally including all the Churchill papers in Cambridge.
Much of the material, drawn from archives in the U.S., Portugal, France, the Bahamas and Britain’s own National Archives, had long been available but no one had pulled the material together. There were also nuggets from private diaries, such as those of courtier Tommy Lascelles, MI5 officer Guy Liddell and famous gossip Chips Channon.
Were there many big surprises along the way?
Lots, from their bizarre relationship to the various scandals with which they were involved.
How much did your opinion of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson shift in the making of this book?
I had my suspicions but, as reviews have pointed out, it’s a damning portrait.
What next? How do you choose your next subject, or does it choose you?
The next book will look at the Duke and Duchess of York, another story of royal scandal and with contemporary parallels.
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