Wolf Hall Weekend 2026 At All Hallows by the Tower

I'm back from an amazing event in London celebrating the Wolf Hall trilogy of novels written by Hilary Mantel. This year's gathering, held at All Hallows by the Tower, was the second Wolf Hall Weekend - the first was held in Devon and boasted a variety of high-profile speakers and history enthusiasts. 

The 5am start and swaying in an almost-empty tube carriage along the tracks with other bleary-eyed tube commuters was all worth it when I walked out of Tower Bridge station and saw the iconic walls of the historic fortress. Nodding to Emperor Trajan as I walked down the steps, it was a short walk from there to All Hallows, an ancient church that Thomas Cromwell would have known. 


Built originally in 675 AD, it was an important medieval and Tudor place of worship, but was bombed during the Second World War. The church would become our residence for the next thirteen hours, so I grabbed a coffee along with a bacon and cheese croissant from the nearby Pret and made my way to the outside queue. 

Day one started off with an introduction by the group's organiser, the lovely David Holland. We were then treated to a talk by Tracy Borman, who told the story of Thomas Cromwell alongside the rise of Anne Boleyn.  Both self-starters, they were aligned when Henry VIII chose to make Anne his queen, with Cromwell figuring out how the king could annul his existing marriage to Katherine of Aragon. Their interests became more divided however, during the religious reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was said that Anne wanted the revenue to go towards the community and the poor rather than purely enriching the Crown. Tracy then stayed behind to sign copies of her book, House of Boleyn. 


More talks followed. We listened to a panel discussion by Elizabeth Norton, Dr Owen Emmerson and Elizabeth Goldring on the queens portrayed in Wolf Hall and how they were represented in the novels and in contemporary art. I loved Goldring's input on Holbein and his portraits and so during the tea break, I quickly bought a copy of her book and asked her to sign it for me. She was lovely. Elizabeth Norton's new book on Jane Seymour is coming out later in the summer and I am definitely pre-ordering that, too. Elizabeth gave us some interesting hints as to what will be in it and how her findings reflect on the 'meek' aspect of Jane's personality (I've mentioned before that we're definitely in agreement that Jane was not the 'meek and mild' queen of Tudor legend).


Next, Dr Bea Dutton talked about her stunning work sewing her own responses to some of the themes from Wolf Hall and her sewn likenesses of some of Henry VIII's queens. We had an opportunity later in the day to wander around where they were displayed and see them up close. Dr Eleri Lynn also spoke with Bea about the importance of textiles in Tudor fashion. Simon Haisell, of the Substack newsletter Footnotes and Tangents and Dr Lucy Arnold from the University of Worcester spoke about the literature aspect of the novels, providing some really interesting insight into Hilary Mantel's writing process and potential meanings within the text. Bill Hamilton, Hilary's agent, was also present at the discussion and it was interesting to learn more about Mantel from someone who knew her personally for a good many years.

Next, we stopped for lunch, provided by the light and airy Byward Kitchen and Bar right next door to the church. The food was lovely, and I'd recommend it if you're visiting. They looked after us well over the busy weekend. The lunch was a great opportunity to chat with fellow history fans, and I met some great people who I hope will stay in touch. I found everyone really friendly, sharing the same passion of photographing effigies and old doorways! We were also treated during lunch to a private tour of the church's ancient crypt, and were shown Roman mosaic flooring, a Saxon cross and a tantalising link to the legendary Knights Templar. What a place! 


Taking our pews once again, we settled in for more talks and discussions. Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch was amazing, and he's certainly gained a new fan here. He brilliantly outlined Cromwell's fall, and the role of his son Gregory in his father's political life. Professor Diarmaid then joined a panel with Dr Miranda Mallins and Alfred Hawkins, discussing the history of the Tower of London, and the Cromwell family. Miranda has just written a book called The House of Cromwell, which I'll be ordering. It charts the family through Thomas Cromwell to his family member Oliver Cromwell of the 1640s.


Next, actress Aurora Dawson-Hunte gave a beautiful speech, before The Tower Theatre performed a read-through of the play The Mirror and the Light, the final novel in the series. The actors were brilliant, and to have it acted out in the church Cromwell would have known and in which his body rested before burial was amazing, and we all agreed, a bit emotional. After the performance ended, we made our way to our homes and to our hotel rooms. I stayed at Citizen M, a handy and very modern hotel just a short walk away from the Tower.

Day two began at around 11am, when we met outside the church again for a guided walk around some of  the Thomas Cromwell-related sights of London. We visited the site of his old home, Austin Friars, and saw the place he was executed, a brutal site in a now deceptively pretty public garden. There were medieval walls, churches and streets and the walk was led by Matt Brown of The Londonist, Elizabeth Norton and Dr Miranda Mallins, who all provided their insight and knowledge. We went back to the Byward Kitchen for an Afternoon Tea and were then treated to a talk about Kat Ashley by Rosemary Griggs. She was with her husband who performed some Tudor singing, both dressed in contemporary Elizabethan costume, which Rosemary makes herself. Rosemary has also just published a book on Kat called Queen Elizabeth's Governess. Matt Brown then spoke about the creation of his brilliant literary-inspired London maps and David Holland concluded the event with thanks and a teaser about what might occur at a future event. 



What I loved about Wolf Hall Weekend was that the event was a gathering of historians, history fans and readers of literature and we all got together through our shared interest. It was full of history of course, but I learned a lot too about Hilary Mantel and her writing. I can now appreciate so much more about the story and of course her depiction of Thomas Cromwell. 


Thinking about attending the next Wolf Hall Weekend, planned for 2028? Follow Wolf Hall Weekend here and on Substack for updates. 

You might also like Interview with David Holland, Founder of Wolf Hall Weekend, Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall Novels and 'Serious' History and Jane Seymour's Jewels and What She Did With Them.

Interested in Tudor history? You might also like my second book, Power Couples of the Tudor Era, published by Pen and Sword Books, which explores the contributions couples made to their own times as well as how they influenced our own. Edward and Anne Seymour, Henry and Gertrude Courtenay and Margaret Douglas and Lord Thomas Howard are all featured in depth. 


The Tudors are famous for creative expression, art and the theatre during their reigns. But the English Renaissance started a lot earlier than 1485. Find out more in my book Power Couples of the Renaissance. It features relationship dynamics that went against accepted norms of the period and power-hungry couples who ruled, fought and spread the patronage of art, science and culture across the globe during one of the most tumultuous periods of history. Find it on the Pen and Sword Books website. 



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