Henry VIII’s England, filmed in Ireland · Showtime, 2007–2010
Henry VIII, painted by Hans Holbein the Younger about 1537. Play a chase
Real tennis · Henry’s game · Ireland serves, England receives
Henry played real tennis at Hampton Court on a court he had built. On a real court the service end has the advantage, and a ball laid against a gallery is played off later from the other end. Here Ireland serves: hit into a gallery to lay a chase on a place the series filmed, then change ends and play it off at the real English place of the same kind. The pairs are by kind, not claims that one place played the other.
Henry VIII played real tennis at Hampton Court on a court he had built in 1530.
On a real court the service end is favoured; a chase is marked by the line of the gallery the ball enters, and the grille is the smallest of the three openings that win a point outright.
0 of 6 played
Serve from the Irish end. Pick an opening below.
County Wicklow · the meadows of Tudor England
The rooms were built at Ardmore in Bray. Outside, the series needed gardens, terraces and hills, and found them a short drive from the studio. Its location manager described going from an army on a hill to Henry walking in his gardens without leaving a small patch of Wicklow and Dublin.
Most indoor scenes at Ardmore; outdoor locations at Luggala, Powerscourt, Killruddery and elsewhere in Wicklow.
The location manager on hopping between an army on a hill and Henry’s garden walks, with everything close together.
Ardmore Studios: Tudors case study (Internet Archive copy, 13 October 2025)
Bray · the rooms
Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow
Most of the indoor scenes were filmed at Ardmore Studios in Bray.
Hundreds of cast and crew came to the studio from 2006 to 2010, for about six months each time.
Ardmore and the country round it played the meadows of Tudor England, 16th-century London and Vatican City.
The same producers came back in 2010 to film Camelot there.
A working film studio, not open to visitors. The photograph shows Bray harbour, in the same town.
Bray · the gardens
Southern Cross, Bray, County Wicklow
The estate lists The Tudors among the films and series it has hosted.
Its grounds are named by Ardmore among the outdoor locations, and by Visit Wicklow among the county’s.
The house looks Tudor but is Tudor Revival: the 10th Earl of Meath had it rebuilt in that style in the 1820s.
In 1534 William Brabazon was sent to Ireland as Vice-Treasurer, to carry out new Tudor policy. His family have lived at Killruddery since 1618.
Gardens open April to October, Tuesday to Sunday; the farm shop and café in Killruddery Yard open daily. House tours by booking.
Enniskerry · the plea
Enniskerry, County Wicklow
Powerscourt was the setting for Anne Boleyn pleading with Henry while she holds the infant Elizabeth.
Its gardens are among the outdoor locations named by Ardmore and Visit Wicklow.
The house was remodelled from a 13th-century castle by Richard Cassels between 1731 and 1741; a fire in 1974 left it a shell until 1996.
House and gardens open to visitors; check times on the estate’s website.
Roundwood · the hills
Near Roundwood, County Wicklow
Visit Wicklow names the Luggala estate near Roundwood among the series’ outdoor locations.
Luggala Lodge, Lough Tay and 5,000 acres round them are privately owned, and there are no public rights of way.
Braveheart and Vikings were filmed on the estate too.
A private estate with no public rights of way. Lough Tay is seen from the road on the hills above it.
Wicklow
Live marketplace results for tours from Dublin into Wicklow, past the country that played Tudor England. None is about the series.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare tours
Dublin Castle · playing Vatican City
Henry’s quarrel with Rome runs through the series; Peter O’Toole played Pope Paul III and Max von Sydow a cardinal. Their Rome was Dublin Castle, transformed into Vatican City.
19 km: Ardmore Studios to Dublin Castle.
Dame Street, Dublin 2
Dublin Castle was transformed into Vatican City for the series.
The castle was founded in 1204 on the orders of King John.
Open every day, 9.45am to 5.45pm. Self-guided State Apartments €8 for adults, guided tours €12.
Dublin
Live marketplace results for walking tours of Dublin Castle and Christ Church. None is about the series.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursPeter O’Toole played Pope Paul III in season 2; Max von Sydow played Cardinal von Waldburg in season 3.
Distances are great-circle, computed from the map coordinates of Ardmore, Dublin Castle, Hampton Court and St Peter’s.
OpenStreetMap Nominatim: Basilica di San Pietro (way 244159210)
Dublin · a cathedral, a gaol, a hospital, a moat
Ardmore’s list of Dublin locations reads like a walk: Christ Church and Dublin Castle a street apart, Kilmainham’s gaol and hospital side by side, Drimnagh’s moated castle a little further west.
Christ Church, Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Jail, the Royal Hospital Kilmainham and Drimnagh Castle named by the location manager.
Ardmore Studios: Tudors case study (Internet Archive copy, 13 October 2025)
Christchurch Place
Christchurch Place, Dublin 8
The grounds of Christ Church are among the locations Ardmore names.
In 2012 the crypt showed original costumes from the series by Joan Bergin, with beading, embroidery, crochet and hand painting.
Its priory was dissolved in 1541, when it became a cathedral with a dean and chapter.
Open to visitors daily, with shorter hours on Sundays; admission for sightseeing.
Kilmainham · the prisons
Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8
Kilmainham Gaol was a filming location, its cells used for the series’ prisons.
It was built in 1796 as the County of Dublin Gaol, centuries after Henry VIII.
A museum run by the Office of Public Works. Visits are by guided tour; book ahead online.
Kilmainham · next door
Military Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8
The Royal Hospital is among the Dublin locations the series used.
It was built between 1679 and 1687 to William Robinson’s design.
Since 1991 it has been the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Home of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, with 48 acres of grounds, gardens and a café.
Drimnagh · the moat
Long Mile Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12
Drimnagh Castle was one of the filming locations for The Tudors.
It is the only castle in Ireland still surrounded by a flooded moat.
Its great hall dates from the 15th century.
Tours on the hour, by appointment only. Book before you go.
Richmond · the City · Kent · Greenwich
The places the series was about are still there, or their sites are. Very few scenes were shot at Hampton Court, so this page treats all four as the history the series told, not as filming places.
Henry’s palace
Richmond upon Thames, London, on the River Thames
Much of the story is set at Hampton Court, but very few scenes were filmed there.
Building began in 1514 for Cardinal Wolsey, who gave it to the king in 1529 as he fell from favour.
Between 1532 and 1535 Henry added the Great Hall and the Royal Tennis Court.
Henry played real tennis there on a court he had built in 1530.
Cared for by Historic Royal Palaces and open to the public. The gardens hold the maze and the royal tennis court.
London
Live marketplace results for tours of Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London. None is about the series.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursThe prison
Tower Hill, London
The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror in 1078.
Its use as a prison peaked in the 16th and 17th centuries. Anne Boleyn was held there in 1536 and is buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula.
Henry VIII rebuilt that chapel in 1519; the building standing today dates from then.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, open to visitors; at least six ravens are kept there at all times.
The Boleyns’ house
Hever, near Edenbridge, Kent
From 1462 to 1539 it was the seat of the Boleyn family, and Anne spent her early youth there.
The oldest part, the gatehouse and walled bailey, dates from 1270.
After Thomas Boleyn died it came to Henry, who gave it to Anne of Cleves in 1540.
Castle and gardens open to visitors, with rooms to stay in the Astor and Anne Boleyn Wings.
Kent · Rates for your dates on the castle’s booking page · Astor Wing bookings open eight weeks ahead
Twenty-six bedrooms in the Astor Wing and the Anne Boleyn Wing, Edwardian wings joined to the Boleyns’ castle and built in Tudor style. Breakfast and tickets to the castle and gardens are included.
See the roomsThe birthplace, gone
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London
Henry VIII was born at Greenwich Palace in 1491; Elizabeth was born there in 1533.
Henry married Anne of Cleves at Greenwich in 1540.
The old palace was demolished in 1660; Greenwich Hospital, now the Old Royal Naval College, was built on the site.
The Tudor palace is gone. The Old Royal Naval College, once Greenwich Hospital, stands on its site.
Henry reigned from 1509 to 1547. For each building, guess whether it was standing in his time.
No guesses yet.
Dublin Castle: founded 1204.
Christ Church Cathedral: rebuilt in stone in the 1180s.
Drimnagh Castle: great hall 15th century.
Killruddery House and Gardens: rebuilt in Tudor style in the 1820s.
Powerscourt House and Gardens: remodelled 1731–1741.
Royal Hospital Kilmainham: built 1679–1687.
Kilmainham Gaol: built 1796.
The Tower of London: White Tower 1078.
Hever Castle: gatehouse 1270.
Hampton Court Palace: begun 1514.
Henry VIII reigned 1509–1547.
The cast · photographs from the run where they exist
Michael Hirst created and wrote the series. It ran on Showtime from 1 April 2007 to 20 June 2010: 4 seasons, 38 episodes, also shown on BBC Two and CBC.
It won Emmys in 2007 for its costumes and its main title theme music, and Irish Film and Television Awards in four years running. The costumes were by Joan Bergin; in 2012 some went on show in the crypt of Christ Church.
Creator, broadcast dates, seasons, episodes, networks, cast and roles, Emmys and IFTAs.
Joan Bergin’s costumes in the Christ Church crypt, 2012.
Christ Church Cathedral: ‘The Tudors’ exhibition now on in the Crypt (2012)
13 places: nine in Wicklow and Dublin where the series was filmed, and four in England where its history happened. Ardmore is a working studio and Luggala a private estate; both are pinned where you can see them from the road.
Pins mark public places; private homes are named but not pinned.
General reference · Restricted access · Coordinate precision: site · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A working film studio, not open to visitors. The photograph shows Bray harbour, in the same town.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. Gardens open April to October, Tuesday to Sunday; the farm shop and café in Killruddery Yard open daily. House tours by booking.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. House and gardens open to visitors; check times on the estate’s website.
General reference · Restricted access · Coordinate precision: site · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A private estate with no public rights of way. Lough Tay is seen from the road on the hills above it.
Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow
Most of the indoor scenes were filmed at Ardmore Studios in Bray.
A working film studio, not open to visitors. The photograph shows Bray harbour, in the same town.
Southern Cross, Bray, County Wicklow
The estate lists The Tudors among the films and series it has hosted.
Gardens open April to October, Tuesday to Sunday; the farm shop and café in Killruddery Yard open daily. House tours by booking.
Enniskerry, County Wicklow
Powerscourt was the setting for Anne Boleyn pleading with Henry while she holds the infant Elizabeth.
House and gardens open to visitors; check times on the estate’s website.
Near Roundwood, County Wicklow
Visit Wicklow names the Luggala estate near Roundwood among the series’ outdoor locations.
A private estate with no public rights of way. Lough Tay is seen from the road on the hills above it.
Stay
Bedrooms in the Tudor-style wings at Hever, castle tickets included.
Kent · Rates for your dates on the castle’s booking page · Astor Wing bookings open eight weeks ahead
Twenty-six bedrooms in the Astor Wing and the Anne Boleyn Wing, Edwardian wings joined to the Boleyns’ castle and built in Tudor style. Breakfast and tickets to the castle and gardens are included.
See the roomsGo there
Day trips into the mountains, walks round the castle and cathedral, and tours of the palaces.
Wicklow
Live marketplace results for tours from Dublin into Wicklow, past the country that played Tudor England. None is about the series.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursDublin
Live marketplace results for walking tours of Dublin Castle and Christ Church. None is about the series.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursLondon
Live marketplace results for tours of Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London. None is about the series.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursWhat’s on
A craft weekend and wreath mornings at Killruddery, and Christmas at Hever.
Checking current event dates…
Take it home
Trevor Morris’s scores and two tie-in books from the run.
Trevor Morris · CD, 2007
Trevor Morris’s score for the first season.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copyTrevor Morris · CD, 2009
The second season’s score.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copyMichael Hirst
A 2007 tie-in book from the first season, credited to the series’ creator.
Find the bookElizabeth Massie
A 2008 novel of the series.
Find the bookDates, prices, rooms and stock change: confirm with the provider before you travel or buy. A stay or tour is described as a filming location only where the card says so.
Every place and moment behind this page, with sources.
13 of 13 places · 19 of 19 Moments
Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow
Most indoor scenes are filmed on Ardmore’s stages.
The production comes to Ardmore for about six months a season, 2006 to 2010.
Ardmore and the country round it play Tudor England, 16th-century London and Vatican City.
Southern Cross, Bray, County Wicklow
Killruddery’s grounds are an outdoor location for the series.
Enniskerry, County Wicklow
Anne Boleyn pleads with Henry for mercy, holding the infant Elizabeth.
Near Roundwood, County Wicklow
The Luggala estate is an outdoor location for the series.
Dame Street, Dublin 2
Dublin Castle is transformed into Vatican City.
Christchurch Place, Dublin 8
The production films in the grounds of Christ Church.
Joan Bergin’s costumes from the series go on show in the crypt.
Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8
Kilmainham Gaol’s cells serve as the series’ prisons.
Military Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8
The Royal Hospital Kilmainham is a filming location.
Long Mile Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12
Drimnagh Castle is a filming location.
Richmond upon Thames, London, on the River Thames
Cardinal Wolsey gives Hampton Court to Henry as he falls from favour.
Henry adds the Great Hall and the Royal Tennis Court.
Very few of the series’ scenes are filmed at Hampton Court itself.
Tower Hill, London
Anne Boleyn is held in the Tower and buried in its chapel.
Hever, near Edenbridge, Kent
Hever is the Boleyn family seat, where Anne spends her early youth.
Henry gives Hever to Anne of Cleves.
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London
Henry is born at Greenwich Palace; so, in 1533, is Elizabeth.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5532807.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_06.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
