Secrets in the Shadows: A Tale of Intrigue and Survival

08 Nov 2024 - 09 Nov 2024

National Trust - Speke Hall, Garden and Estate

Elizabeth I is on the throne. The Pope has excommunicated her from the Catholic Church, and there have already been two plots to replace her with a Catholic monarch. Her patience is running thin with those who remain loyal to the Pope and the old faith.

Edward Norris, like many recusants, is building safe places to hide priests who are travelling in secrecy around the country. Any priest ordained abroad since 1559, if caught, is automatically deemed a traitor and executed. For the families hiding them, a similar fate could await.

Edward Norris and his wife, Margaret, are entertaining a select group of trusted guests, whom they know will help keep the house’s secrets. As they prepare to take Catholic Mass, a spy within the group has alerted the pursuivants that the family is harbouring the known priest Richard Brittain. Will the spy reveal themselves? Will the priest be caught? Witness and be a part of the secrets, intrigue, and interrogation as you discover what really happened during this dangerous period of history.