The Rise of the Tudors with Nathen Amin

THE RISE OF THE TUDORS

Tutor Nathen Amin

Nathen is a Welsh historian and author who specialises in the 15th century, the Wars of the Roses and the early Tudor dynasty. He has published five books, including ‘The House of Beaufort, ‘Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders’, and a 2024 BBC History Book of the Year, ‘Son of Prophecy: The Rise of Henry Tudor’. He has spoken at more than 130 events in Britain and France, features regularly on TV and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Dates
18-22 June 2027

Number of Places
8

Location
Walnut Barn, St Cybranet, Dordogne

Overview
A series of lectures and interactive Q&As exploring the background of the Tudor Dynasty and their rise to the English throne. From the Beauforts to Bosworth, from Wales to France, this is the story of the Tudors, but not as its usually told. You know how the story ends, but do you know how it began?

Who Is It For / Skill Level
A fully accessible course available for anyone

What You Will Learn
A rounded introduction to the fifteenth century and the background of the Tudor Dynasty – discover just how one bold Welsh family emerged out of Wales to become England’s most famous royal family, and how their legacy remains today.

What to Expect/ Course Structure

Friday – Arrival & Orientation
Guests arrive during the afternoon and settle in. Informal apéritifs with drinks, nibbles and introductions are followed by dinner together at the barn, with home-cooked food, wine and conversation. After dinner, Nathen gives a relaxed introduction to set the scene for the weekend’s talks and what lies ahead.

Saturday
Morning visit to Sarlat to explore its renowned Saturday market, with transport provided. Lunch in town at guests’ own cost.
Afternoon at the barn, where the Tudor story first takes shape:

• LECTURE 1: Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt: Unpicking one of history’s most famous love affairs and the legacy they left behind through their four illegitimate children, the Beauforts.
• Refreshments and discussion
• LECTURE 2: The Welsh Tudors: Covering the rise of one rebellious Welsh family, the wars against England they led, and how a lowly servant named Owen Tudor married the French Queen of England, Katherine of Valois.
• Q&A session

Dinner together, with informal conversation continuing into the evening.

Sunday
Leisurely breakfast at the barn to start the day.

• LECTURE 3: Beauforts, Tudors and France: Exploring how the two separate families, the Beauforts and Tudors, merged into one dynamic force during the Wars of the Roses. When a 13 year old girl named Margaret Beaufort gave birth to a boy named Henry Tudor, no one could foresee this child would one day be King of England.
• Q&A session

Lunch at the barn before the afternoon continues.
• LECTURE 4: The Tudors and France: Henry Tudor is a hunted teenager. Because of the slender royal blood in his veins, his enemies on the English throne want him dead. But Henry is able to survive. In total, he would spend fourteen years hiding in France. This is the story of his remarkable survival in exile.
• Q&A session

Afternoon visit to Chateau de Castelnaud

Dinner at the barn will be a special Tudor-inspired evening with a nod to traditional dishes, period touches and music, offering a relaxed glimpse into how dining may have felt in the Tudor world. Optional hats for a little light-hearted fun.

Monday
Leisurely breakfast at the barn.

• LECTURE 5: Richard III and the Princes in the Tower: Richard is one of history’s most notorious figures – some see a child-murdering monster and others see a much-maligned saint. Who was the real Richard and just what happened to his nephews who disappeared in 1483?
• Q&A session

Walk along the river beside one of the most beautiful villages in France, La Roque-Gageac, with its 12th-century church and houses dating from the 14th–16th centuries. Picnic by the river if the weather allows, or return to the barn for lunch.
• LECTURE 6: Bosworth and France: Taking a closer look at the Bosworth Campaign in which Henry Tudor challenged Richard III for the English throne, and the role France played in changing the King of England
• Q&A session

Afternoon visit to Chateau Beynac

Final dinner together, with relaxed conversation and reflection.

Tuesday – Departures
Breakfast at the Barn and departures. Transfers to Bergerac airport.

Included
All lectures, transfers from Bergerac airport, transport to excursions, entry to 2 Chateaux and meals and refreshments as detailed above

Not Included
Flights, accommodation, travel insurance, lunch in Sarlat

Materials to Bring
N/A

Materials Provided at Venue
Optional headwear for our Tudor themed evening

Local Resident Workshops
(To follow:)

Important Travel Information

Arrival Day – Friday
Bergerac Airport is just over an hour from us. We will meet the main London Stansted flight on Friday afternoon once Summer 2027 schedules are confirmed. The most straightforward UK route is a direct Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport, which typically operates on a Friday/Tuesday pattern during the summer season.

Travelling from further afield
If you are travelling from the USA or internationally, the simplest route is to fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and take a train from Paris Montparnasse station to Bordeaux Saint-Jean station. High-speed TGV trains run frequently (roughly every 1–2 hours) and take around 2 to 2.5 hours.

Alternatively, you can fly into Bordeaux. The airport is well connected to the main train station: a direct tram runs to Gare Saint-Jean in around 45 minutes, or a shuttle bus takes approximately 30 minutes. From Bordeaux, there is a direct train to Sarlat-la-Canéda (around 2 hours), where we can collect you.

Train travel within France
Sarlat-la-Canéda is our nearest station, with direct connections from Bordeaux. We are very happy to collect you on Friday afternoon.

Driving
Driving from the UK is straightforward via Eurotunnel or ferry routes. The journey from Calais is approximately 9–10 hours, mostly motorway, with parking available on site.