This bed, which was excitingly rediscovered in 2010, was almost certainly produced for the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, whose union brought together the warring houses of York and Lancaster in 1486. Such expensive and significant items of furniture would often be passed down through successive generations, and sometimes alterations were found to be necessary. Here, the original medieval (probably painted) inscriptions next to the figures of Adam and Eve were replaced in the sixteenth century with carved verses in English which were evidently felt to be more appropriate to a post-Reformation context: ‘The sting of death is sinne’, and ‘The strength of sinne is the Lawe’ (1 Cor. 15:56).

Click on the central panel of the headboard to find out more.