Colourful, corpulent and many-wived, Henry VIII was a scholarly, forward-looking monarch… and a ruthless executioner “who released an orgy of iconoclasm and sadistic revenge on those who rebelled against him” in the words of David Starkey.

The county of Essex was one of the king’s favourite haunts and a popular retreat for his wealthy courtiers – and it is here that ACE and English Heritage will throw fresh light on Henry’s legacy five centuries after his accession to the throne.

One of Henry VIII’s first acts after the death of his father was to install Sir Henry Marney as vice-chamberlain and captain of his bodyguard. Henry later afforded Marney a further rare privilege: a personal visit to his Essex mansion, Layer Marney Tower, one of England’s most distinguished gate-houses, where we will enjoy a feast of traditional Tudor fare and period music.

Sir Thomas Darcy, another of Henry’s favourites, owned St Osyth’s, a former Augustinian priory set at the head of the rivers Stour and Blackwater. We will take a private tour of the priory and cast an eye over the gate-tower, currently under restoration thanks to a grant provided by English Heritage.

Ingatestone Hall, a 16th century manor house set in formal gardens, was built by another formidable Essex man, Sir William Petre, secretary of state not only to Henry VIII but also to Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth. As the present Lord Petre will explain to us, fifteen generations of his family have lived – and still live – in the house where Mary stayed in 1553 and Elizabeth in 1561.

Our base will be the four-star Marks Tey Hotel (with indoor swimming pool), conveniently located south of Colchester near the historic village of Coggeshall.