Kingdom of England down. By 1588, her new navy was strong enough to defeat the Spanish Armada, which had sought to invade England to put a Catholic monarch on the throne in her place. The House of Tudor ended with the death of Elizabeth I on 24 March 1603. James I ascended the throne of England and brought it into personal union with the Kingdom of Scotland. Despite the Union of the Crowns, the kingdoms remained separate and independent states: a state of affairs which lasted for more than a century. The Stuart kings overestimated the power of the English monarchy, and were
The Tudor Trail of the route. The route has been recommended by Bradley Wiggins as one of the top cycling routes in the country. Some guides mention the trail continuing (past Penshurst) to Hever Castle via Chiddingstone, extending the trail to 10miles (16 km). The route is mentioned in the 'AA guide Cycling in the SE of England'. Recommended OS maps to use are OS Explorer 147, OS Landranger 188. The Tudor Trail The Tudor Trail is a 6-mile multi-user linear route between 2 historic buildings in the Wealden countryside. It is also part of 'Regional Route 12' of the National Cycle Network.