stayed nearer London; at other times he might go further afield or on progress. His moves from house to house, and the length of his stay at each oneâwhich could be measured in days or weeksâdepended on several factors: first and foremost were political considerations, followed closely by the Kingâs desire to hunt in his various chases. A house would need cleaning and sweetening after being occupied for a time, or water supplies or locally available provisions might prove insufficient for a longer stay. On many occasions, the King moved house to escape the plague. Often he followed a planned itinerary known as a giest, but this could be disrupted.
The sheer amount of work involved in moving the court from place to place was staggering. Not only did hundreds of courtiers and servants have to relocate, but most furniture was taken, too; this was arranged by the Royal Wardrobe. Beds had to be dismantled, tapestries taken down, clothing and linen packed, valuables safely stored away or transported. The new house was made ready by the Grooms of the Chamber and Privy Chamber, who had to have everything in place by the time of the Kingâs arrival. 62 The house just vacated was left an empty shell, with a skeleton staff under the supervision of the Keeper, usually a favoured courtier who was allowed to reside in the house, or was provided with accommodation nearby. 63 The official responsible for the smooth completion of each move was the Knight Harbinger; he had the final say as to where everyone was to be accommodated. His success depended on his acquiring a wide knowledge of the layout and previous arrangements at each house.
Most household items were transported on carts, wagons, mules, or sumpter horses, or by boat. 64 Everything was packed in chests or wrapped in canvas, and watched over while in transit by specialised sumptermen; boar hides were sometimes spread over the baggage to keep it dry. Other things were left in storage until they were needed: every house had its removing wardrobe, and the greater houses had Wardrobes of the Beds, Wardrobes of the Robes, and Jewel Houses. 65
The King, like most people, travelled on horseback. Sixteenth-century roads were generally poor; it was left to local landowners to keep them in repair, and many defaulted. Some roads were mere dirt tracks with pot-holes; they could be treacherous or impassable in bad weather. There were so few signposts that in remote areas (notably the far north) travellers had to employ local guides; even Henry VII had once got lost between Bristol and Bath. The chief roads were those built by the Romans, but even these were poorly maintained. An added hazard was the threat posed to travellers by beggars and robbers. Early in his reign, Henry VIII ordered the building of several new roads and the repair of important older roads, which led to an increase in the use of wheeled vehicles. The best roads were those reserved especially for the sovereignâs use, such as the Kingâs Road, which now runs through Chelsea in London and was once part of a private road linking Whitehall and Hampton Court. There were half a dozen of these roads, which provided connections between most of the greater houses.
The Queen and the ladies of the court would either ride on palfreys or travel in a chair (or chariot) or litter. Chairs were unsprung carriages like gaily painted covered wagons, with the coach suspended on leather straps. Such carriages were probably first used in England in the fourteenth century, and an illustration of an early example may be seen in the Luttrell Psalter. 66 Katherine of Aragonâs ladies rode in one at her coronation.
A litter was a long, boxlike structure fixed above two poles; it could be carried by men or horses. An aristocratic mode of transport since the twelfth century, particularly for ladies, it was convenient for use on roads that could not take wheeled vehicles. Litters normally had hooped roofs, or bails,
The sheer amount of work involved in moving the court from place to place was staggering. Not only did hundreds of courtiers and servants have to relocate, but most furniture was taken, too; this was arranged by the Royal Wardrobe. Beds had to be dismantled, tapestries taken down, clothing and linen packed, valuables safely stored away or transported. The new house was made ready by the Grooms of the Chamber and Privy Chamber, who had to have everything in place by the time of the Kingâs arrival. 62 The house just vacated was left an empty shell, with a skeleton staff under the supervision of the Keeper, usually a favoured courtier who was allowed to reside in the house, or was provided with accommodation nearby. 63 The official responsible for the smooth completion of each move was the Knight Harbinger; he had the final say as to where everyone was to be accommodated. His success depended on his acquiring a wide knowledge of the layout and previous arrangements at each house.
Most household items were transported on carts, wagons, mules, or sumpter horses, or by boat. 64 Everything was packed in chests or wrapped in canvas, and watched over while in transit by specialised sumptermen; boar hides were sometimes spread over the baggage to keep it dry. Other things were left in storage until they were needed: every house had its removing wardrobe, and the greater houses had Wardrobes of the Beds, Wardrobes of the Robes, and Jewel Houses. 65
The King, like most people, travelled on horseback. Sixteenth-century roads were generally poor; it was left to local landowners to keep them in repair, and many defaulted. Some roads were mere dirt tracks with pot-holes; they could be treacherous or impassable in bad weather. There were so few signposts that in remote areas (notably the far north) travellers had to employ local guides; even Henry VII had once got lost between Bristol and Bath. The chief roads were those built by the Romans, but even these were poorly maintained. An added hazard was the threat posed to travellers by beggars and robbers. Early in his reign, Henry VIII ordered the building of several new roads and the repair of important older roads, which led to an increase in the use of wheeled vehicles. The best roads were those reserved especially for the sovereignâs use, such as the Kingâs Road, which now runs through Chelsea in London and was once part of a private road linking Whitehall and Hampton Court. There were half a dozen of these roads, which provided connections between most of the greater houses.
The Queen and the ladies of the court would either ride on palfreys or travel in a chair (or chariot) or litter. Chairs were unsprung carriages like gaily painted covered wagons, with the coach suspended on leather straps. Such carriages were probably first used in England in the fourteenth century, and an illustration of an early example may be seen in the Luttrell Psalter. 66 Katherine of Aragonâs ladies rode in one at her coronation.
A litter was a long, boxlike structure fixed above two poles; it could be carried by men or horses. An aristocratic mode of transport since the twelfth century, particularly for ladies, it was convenient for use on roads that could not take wheeled vehicles. Litters normally had hooped roofs, or bails,
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