In July 1575 Queen Elizabeth I rode down Purlieu Lane for a day’s deer hunting in Chase Wood, accompanied by Lord Robert Dudley’s courtiers. Their aim was to amaze her with a surprise “Lady of the Lake” on the “Great Mere” which was then a quarter of a mile wide. It reached the terrace below Purlieu Gate Cottage and was crossed by a timbered bridge 14 feet wide by 600 feet long on the land before you. There were surprise entertainments on the way, including a court jester who jumped out from a tree to woo her with poetry. Disastrously the Queen’s horse shied and nearly threw her!
The cottage was built from red sandstone blocks plundered from the “slighting” of Kenilworth Castle after the Civil War. Look for the old window carvings, taken from Elizabeth’s apartments at the Castle a century later.
From the cottage, continue 50 metres along Purlieu Lane over Finham Brook. take the kissing gate footpath on the right, then walk diagonally over the field to the derelict ruins of Hammonds Barn.
These trails follow the same route as the leaflets but provide more detailed and deeper information at each point of interest (and we will keep adding more as we go!).
Please note – these trails are developed and optimised for a mobile experience so may not work effectively on bigger screen sizes.
Important – Using these trails and clicking their links will require mobile data (no more than accessing web pages), please ensure you are aware of your data limits and costs before using them.
Each point contains everything you need to locate it, as well as links to mapping services for its location.
At each point you will find further information pages and links to help interpret where you are and what you are looking at.
If you spot a mistake or encounter a problem please let us know by providing your feedback on the dedicated form linked below.
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