WHILE Guy Fawkes prepared to blow up King James I and his government with a deadly haul of explosives under the Houses of Parliament, a sprawling country estate 100 miles away was poised to become a crucial yet little-known part of the Gunpowder Plot.
James’ nine-year-old daughter Elizabeth lived at magnificent Coombe Abbey near Coventry and Fawkes’s co-conspirators had planned to kidnap her and install her on the throne as a puppet queen.
An anonymous letter rumbled the London end of the plan while, in Warwickshire, the plotters – led by Robert Catesby – abandoned the kidnapping on hearing about the failure.
To this day, the foiled plot is commemorated with fireworks and bonfires on November 5.
And Coombe Abbey is now a magnificent hotel worthy of its regal connections.
Built by Cistercian monks in 1150, it became the biggest abbey in Warwickshire before being seized during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.
Later it was sold to nobleman John Harington, who agreed to act as Elizabeth’s guardian, raising and educating her at his home.
In a rather peculiar twist four centuries later, Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington, a descendant of Catesby, played his ancestor in BBC One drama Gunpowder.
Guests arriving at the hotel nowadays pass over its ancient moat then enter through the original stone cloisters, where a pulpit still stands.
You can take a pew on an ornately carved throne-like chair, admire the hanging wall tapestries and marble busts or examine the tomb of murdered monk Abbot Geoffrey, whose cloaked figure is said to still roam.
Fittingly, our room for our night’s stay was The Princess Elizabeth, decked out in deep mulberries and glimmering golds and with an oak four-poster bed set upon a plinth.
Luxurious floor-to-ceiling curtains embossed with the same heraldic design as the wallpaper enhance the royal feel, while the bathroom with roll-top bath and golden taps also adds to the drama.
The hotel lies in 500 acres of parkland, set to host a mile-long light festive trail throughout December.
Little ones will love the Hermit’s Hollow play area and families can enjoy Go Ape adventures.
Nearby Coventry is full of medieval buildings and cobbled lanes.
The ruins of its 14th-century cathedral – bombed during World War Two – are preserved alongside a modern replacement, as a symbol of peace and reconciliation.
Coventry Transport Museum is brimming with bikes and vehicles that have helped shape the world including ThrustSSC, the fastest-ever car.
Lesser known but eye-wateringly beautiful is St Mary’s Guildhall.
Built in the 1340s for traders and crafts people, it’s re-opened after a £6.2million refurbishment.
The Great Hall has hosted monarchs and its intricate stained glass windows and painted wood carvings in the roof are breathtaking.
There’s also a rare nine-metre tapestry from the early 1500s depicting Henry VI, who moved his royal court to Coventry, effectively making it England’s capital.
Uncovering another secret gem was the perfect end to a historic stay.