I think
that this charming front was remodelled in Tudor times, and judging
from the interior plaster-work I am of opinion that the bays were
added in the time of Henry VII, the Tudor rose forming part of the
decoration. The arch and gateway with the oriel are the oldest parts
of the front, and on each side of the arch is a sculptured head, one
representing Edward III and the other his queen, Philippa of Hainault.
The house belonged in ancient times to the Knights Templars, where
royal and other distinguished travellers were entertained. King John
is said to have held his court here in 1213, and the old inn witnessed
the passage of the body of Eleanor, the beloved queen of Edward I, as
it was borne to its last resting-place at Westminster. One of the
seven Eleanor crosses stood at Grantham on St. Peter's Hill, but it
shared the fate of many other crosses and was destroyed by the
troopers of Cromwell during the Civil War. The first floor of the
"Angel" was occupied by one long room, wherein royal courts were held.
It is now divided into three separate rooms. In this room Richard III
condemned to execution the Duke of Buckingham, and probably here
stayed Cromwell in the early days of his military career and wrote his
letter concerning the first action that made him famous.
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