The site of these ponds now lies mostly beneath the lake made by Capability Brown for the dukes of Marlborough, although some uneven ground along the lakeside around the spring conceals the foundations of the medieval buildings. It is time for Heloise, whose story is perceived as being eternally entwined with Abelard`s, to be allowed a separate identity, and to stand in her own right alongside such heroines of the twelfth century as Hildegarde of Bingen, the Empress Matilda and Eleanor herself. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions.

DOUGRAY SCOTT is filming in New Zealand but he has taken his homework with him - biographies and textbooks about the complex relationship between Henry II and Thomas Becket.Latterly, I have had a much happier experience working on Jean Anouilh's ‘Becket’, about to open in the West End. Much more engagingly written as you would expect, but equally more given to conjecture, and there feels like a lot of padding along the way.

He explains that he is going on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and that he is leaving Eleanor under the protection of the King of France and in the care of Dangerosa.

But I admit to foaming at the mouth when hearing of a television director who believed it to be 'demeaning' to have to follow the facts of history - a breathtakingly arrogant view, in my opinion. We can discover more about ourselves and our civilisation and make more informed decisions about the future. She cannot bring herself to do so, and, having established that Louis never visits her at night, he triumphantly resumes their love-making.

In 1191, she travelled to Spain to fetch a bride for Richard, and escorted her to Sicily to meet her bridegroom. Katherine announced her last pregnancy to him here in 1518, and Henry was so overjoyed that he gave a great banquet to celebrate the child`s quickening – but sadly, the baby, a daughter, died soon after birth, leaving the King without a son to succeed him. She says: 'My own son has learning difficulties so I ended up running a school in Carshalton to cater for others like him.The author does not ‘pick a side,’ but instead asks all of us to revisit our preconceptions of this most inspiring medieval queen. It has thus become the stuff of legend: in Paris, on the wall of a house near Notre Dame, there is even an inscription commemorating the place where Heloise abandoned herself to the joys of consummation. ELEANOR reveals that her ship got blown off course in the Mediterranean and was captured by Barbary pirates, who took it to the coast of Africa, whence the crew managed to escape.

Henry used the palace frequently when on progresses through his kingdom, for the hunting was highly rated and it was one of only six `greater houses` in which hall could be kept, which meant that the whole court could be accommodated with ease. Furthermore, we feel obliged to assess Eleanor within the context of fashionable women's issues, which in my opinion is not a legitimate approach when dealing with historical subjects. At his insistence, and contrary to her own desire, Heloise too entered religion, as a nun at Argenteuil. This evocative book, both solidly documented and full of original ideas, renews studies on Eleanor of Aquitaine.When you finish the book you feel you have been put painlessly (but not necessarily without tears) in possession of the facts about this extraordinary, indefatigable woman.