#framlingham castle

[lost-harts]

March 2026

[thedudleywomen]

ON THIS DAY - 14 October 1586

On This Day (14 Oct) in 1586, the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots began at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire: she had been charged with plotting the assassination of Elizabeth I.

Mary had been arrested on 11 Aug 1586 whilst being held prisoner at Chartley Manor, Staffordshire; she had been held there since Dec 1585, the residence of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. From here she was transported to nearby Tixall House, before finally being moved to Fotheringhay on 25 Sep 1586.

It was whilst at Chartley that Mary corresponded with Anthony Babington, a Catholic and long-time supporter of hers; letters were written in cypher and transported in and out of the house in beer barrels. Babington was the head of the eponymous 'Babington Plot' - a conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth and place the Catholic Mary on the English throne. However, Elizabeth's Secretary of State and 'spymaster' Sir Francis Walsingham was able to intercept these letters, leading the arrest of Babington, his co-conspirators and eventually Mary. It was these letters that were used as evidence against Mary, and led to her being tried on charges of high treason.

Mary's trial was held in the Great Hall at Fotheringhay - an 'examination' of the evidence by a panel of English nobles, under the 'Act of Association'. Being found guilty under this act would lead to Mary being stripped of her claim to the English throne, and lawfully being put to death. She appeared in person at 9 o'clock in the morning, in front of crown representatives and noblemen, including William Cecil, Baron Burghley (Elizabeth's Lord High Treasurer) Walsingham and George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, under whose custody she had been held for 15 years. She wore her favoured garments of her captive years: a black velvet dress and mantle, with white headdress (with widows peak) and veil.

Mary denied the charges put to her, as well as arguing that she had been denied access to legal counsel. She continued to assert her authority as an anointed queen, and expected to be treated so. Correspondence between the two were passed around, in addition to Babington's deposition and signed confessions of two co-conspirators; Mary denied ever having met Anthony Babington, and accused Walsingham of inventing the cyphers and manufacturing the plot to implicate her. However, she confirmed that she continued to support Catholic interests in England, as well as abroad.

Elizabeth had ordered that no sentence be passed until all the evidence had been presented to herself, and following the conclusion of the trial on 15 Oct, the panel returned to London. Their findings were subsequently presented to Elizabeth on 25 Oct 1586 at the Star Chamber in London; Mary was found guilty of being "not only accessory and privy to the conspiracy, but also an imaginer and compass of her majesty's destruction" and a sentence of death was passed. However, Elizabeth continued to demonstrate ambiguity, requesting attempts to obtain a 'full confession' from the Scottish Queen, in an attempt to save her life, and void any retaliatory action from Mary's Catholic allies abroad.

Links to information about the five major collecting areas of the Parliamentary Archives: Commons and Lords, Palace of Westminster, Societie

[wardrobeoftime]

Becoming Elizabeth + Costumes

Mary Tudor’s black, white & golden dress in Season 01, Episode 02, 03, 04, 06, 07 & 08.

// requested by anonymous

[kttg74]

#ShittyCameraChallenge #GetMono - Konica Pop Super, Street Candy MTN 100

#ShittyCameraChallenge #GetMono – Konica Pop Super, Street Candy MTN 100

To find out more, I recommend you start here Framlingham Castle

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[cacticanteven]

The actual castle on the hill! 👑

[beneath-the-mambo-sun]

Framlingham Castle ~ Suffolk. The castle on the hill.

[drinkingcoldcoffeewithedsheeran]

So the guy who did the art of ed on the dirty van tweeted me this today 👌🏻

[adaptform]

My Blurry Face and Back are in Ed Sheeran’s Castle on the Hill Music Video

Sometime in December my sister sent me a pic of an advert. The film company Somesuch were looking for extras for a shoot in Framlingham, Suffolk. Honestly when i first saw it the word that stuck out the most on the ad was “paid”. By no means an actor I thought well why not give it a go and I sent the film company an email and some pictures of my face (they did ask!). A couple of days later the Somesuch crew get back to me with an enthusiastic “great! Can you be at this place at this time?”. 2 things; first thank you for confirming my face as adequate i feel great, and second at this stage I still have no idea what this shoot is for but I blindly agree to go along. The day before the producer phones me to double check everything is a-ok for me to get to Framlingham, going through all the logistical details that needed confirming, formalities. Near the end of the phone-call I’m asked how much I know about the shoot. The truth then unfolds. The shoot is for Ed Sheeran’s next music video ‘Castle on the Hill’. On the phone I’m like ok cool, inside I’m like WHUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!?!?!?!!!. I am asked not to say anything to anyone in case a flurry of fans come and destroy the small Suffolk town or Ed. Then a phone-call from wardrobe (I know right… legit) going through fashion related things which was essentially wear what you usually do.

Next day I get my ass out of bed to drive to Fram College where there are many many people loitering professionally outside a catering van. I ask someone where on earth I am meant to be and am taken to where all the wardrobe and make-up related things would then happen. Apparently I’m devilishly stylish and didn’t even need to get changed… who knew… I don’t even have a mirror in my room at home. Next, face and hair (gosh could take hours). The make-up artists asked if I already have anything on my face. I’m like “umm…. does moisturiser count?”. Stuff is then put on my face. The bags under my eyes were big enough to carry all my personal possessions so I am just glad that got sorted out. Mid make-up a popstar walks in. My glasses are on the table. I am blind without my glasses. I don’t even notice… Someone genuinely had to say to me “Oh Ben, Ed’s here”. I scramble for my sight aid and say hello. It’s pretty cool meeting a global megastar but a “hey man” was definitely suffice. We briefly spoke before he went off to have a cuppa and I finished being cosmetically enhanced. I then met all the others who would be in my scene, some members of the film crew and then we were off. It was a freezing cold morning in front of Framlingham Castle, and a hot water bottle was doing the rounds as myself and the others sat on logs getting to know each other. I was the anomaly (naturally says those who know me), being the only one not to go to Thomas Mills, or to live in Framlingham, but I was wearing a barber jacket so I fit right in. On the subject of that jacket I should probably tell the friend who gave it to me his clothing is now really famous and stuff…

The film crew were busying themselves around us, moving the logs, getting the composition perfect for when Ed arrived. There were so many people there it was like a group of people had been hired to watch us live every moment of our lives. Camera’s swooped in, directions and guidance given to us extras and all good to go. We’re told Ed’s about to arrive and when he does just to do what we’re doing and they will start filming. Brilliant! I can act goofy, laugh and look entertained all day mate. Ed arrives and we sit around chatting about Framlingham, Thomas Mills, Ipswich, being young, with all the usual serious bantz that entails and our scene is done. We hang around waiting for a second scene with the mini-me’s to begin, myself and the older extras trying to spot which one is meant to be our younger selves then head back to base. We’re told we are free to leave, thank yous and goodbyes are exchanged and that’s that. About halfway home I giggle nonsensically to myself about what’s just happened and at the fact that I still have make-up on my face.

You can spot me right at the end for about 9 secs haha! My face is in ultra soft focus aka blurry and then the camera pans away, my green jacketed back complimenting the wintry scene whilst chatting to Ed and the others, sitting on logs.

Big thanks go to Somesuch for thinking my face was an acceptable fit for the shoot! They were all amazing on the day, a great bunch of folk, so don’t forget to give your love to those guys and gals for doing such a brilliant job with the music video.