Progressing to Petworth: the Lives and Afterlives of Henry VIII’s Progress Sites

Henry VIII first visited Henry Percy, Sixth Earl of Northumberland’s house at Petworth (Sussex) on 27 July 1526. On 18 January 1535/6, Percy granted Petworth, together with eight of his other estates, to the king. Over four weeks, in June and July 1536, Henry rebuilt its gatehouse and added new lodgings to the site. It was not until 27 July 1538, however, that Henry visited Petworth again. Further visits followed in 1539 and again in 1545, when Petworth formed part of an itinerary dominated by the threat from France and the tragic loss of the Mary Rose at the Battle of the Solent. Today, visitors are intrigued by the portrait of Henry VIII which dominates the Carved Hall of this apparently late seventeenth-century National Trust Discovery House. Although the painting was also a seventeenth-century addition to Petworth, traces of the earlier house Henry visited still survive within its walls and under its lawns. The multidisciplinary and collaborative approach developed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded “Henry on Tour” project enables us to bring this lost Tudor building back to life. It invites us to explore how provincial progress sites such as Petworth could be adapted to meet the changing needs of the Royal household on tour. It also encourages us to think about the legacy of progress for residents, visitors, volunteers, and curators of these sites today.