After 400 years, little of the contemporary history of the Gunpowder Plot remains. Apart from several hundred documents and a few contemporary accounts, we are only left with a slowly decreasing and unfortunately deteriorating collection of buildings and locations. Whereas the documentary record provides us with contemporary fact or opinion, the extant architecture offers in many cases a more tangible and personal connection to the past, a connection that is more readily available to the public at large.

[1] - Ashby St. Ledgers - Family Estate of the Catesby family from 1375 to 1611, famous for the Gunpowder Plot Room above the Gatehouse where the conspirators formulated their plan to blow up Parliament.

[2] - Holbeche House - The seat of Stephen Littleton, Holbeche House was the place where the "last stand" of the Gunpowder Plotters took place after the flight from Dunchurch and the failure of the Plot.

[3] - Huddington Court - Family home of the Wintour brothers Thomas and Robert, near Droitwich.

[4] - Coughton Court - Family seat of the Throckmorton family. Staunch Catholics, the Throckmortons were involved in their own conspiracies against Elizabeth I, as were their descendants amongst whom were Robert Catesby and Francis Tresham. Coughton was rented by Sir Everard Digby at the time of the Gunpowder Plot.

[5] - Baddesley Clinton - Owned by the Ferrers, but rented by Anne Vaux, Baddesley Clinton also has a long history as a safe-haven for priests. It was the home of Henry Garnet for almost fifteen years before his eventual capture.

[6] - Hindlip House - For many years Hindlip was the most important half-way house in England for newly-arrived priests. Built by the Habingtons, who were also attainted for their involvement in the Babington Plot, it was where the Jesuits Henry Garnet and Edward Oldcorne were discovered, sheltering in one of the eleven priest-holes created by Nicholas Owen.

[7] - Alnwick Castle - Family seat of the Percys, the Earls of Northumberland. Thomas Percy the conspirator was employed by his kinsman Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland as the Constable of Alnwick Castle.

[8] - Coombe Abbey - A former Cistercian Abbey owned by the Harrington family, where the Princess Elizabeth was to be kidnapped by the plotters.

[9] - The Red Lion Inn - The Red Lion Inn in Dunchurch on the edge of Dunsmore Heath was the meeting place of the conspirators whose role was the raising of the rebellion in the north.

[10] - Holt Castle - Owned by the Bromley family. The Castle was in close proximity to Hindlip and provided accomodation for Garnet, Oldcorne, Owen and Asley for recouperation after their capture by Bromley.