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On the outskirts of Guildford is a charming semi-rural village called West Horsley. Situated next to East Horsley and en-route to Leatherhead, the lovely countryside neighbourhood can be

found south of the M25 and the A3. It is home to Squire's Garden Centre and The King William IV pub, and one of the key landmarks in the village is West Horsley Place. The Grade I

listed medieval manor house and estate is of great beauty and historic significance. The property dates back from 1425, though there has been a building on site since Saxon times. Last year

West Horsley Place Trust, a small charity established in 2015, joined forces with researchers at Exeter University and Historic Royal Palaces to uncover the Tudor history of the site. They

were astonished to find out how significant the Manor House was in the 16th century as a royal residence. King Henry VIII owned the estate for two periods and visited often for lavish

pleasure-seeking parties, and Queen Elizabeth I was in residence no less than six times. After a hugely successful first year, the Hosting Henry VIII festival at West Horsley Place returns

in 2025. A Tudor festival like no other, it recreates King Henry VIII’s visit to the ancient Manor House in a weekend full of living history, food and fun for the whole family. Taking place

on September 13 and 14, there will be jousting displays, birds of prey demonstrations, Tudor dancing, food tasting and opportunities to chat to experts in historic costume. The family

festival brings to life a well-documented visit of King Henry VIII in 1533. Then owners, Henry and Gertrude Courtenay, Marquesss and Marchioness of Exeter, invited Henry for hunting, music

and feasting. Using archival sources, including the menu from the banquet which amazingly survives, the festival creates a historically accurate multi-sensory experience to allow visitors to

step back in time. Guests will be able to reach out and touch living history with specialists on site to conjure up Tudor food, clothing, jewellery, weaponry and entertainments including

music, archery and hawking. Surrounded by National Trust grounds, West Horsley is a relatively small and peaceful neighbourhood. According to property website Rightmove, house prices there

had an overall average of £937,516 over the last year. The majority of these properties sold were detached selling for an average price of £1,134,294. Semi-detached properties sold for an

average of £711,154, with terraced properties fetching £535,000. HOW TO VISIT HOSTING HENRY VIII TUDOR FESTIVAL * DATES: September 13 and 14 * OPENING TIMES: 10am to 5pm each day * ADDRESS:

West Horsley Place, Epsom Road, West Horsley, KT24 6AN. * PRICE: Adults are £25 and children (ages 4 – 16 years) only £10. All proceeds from ticket sales support the mission to repair and

conserve West Horsley Place, which is currently on Historic England's Heritage At Risk register. * BOOK: Buy tickets at westhorsleyplace.org.