Overview

When Catesby, Fawkes and their fellow plotters decided to take matters into their own hands and strike at the very heart of the monarchy and government in 1605, they were doing so against a background of religious and political divisions with a long and bloody history.

This section explores the roots of those divisions and their influence upon this deadly conspiracy and then details the plot itself, step by stealthy step...

Background to the Gunpowder Plot

Discover the religious and political divisions in Europe at the time which led the conspirators to take matters into their own hands

The plot and its discovery

Find out how the plot was hatched and eventually discovered

Aftermath

What happened after the plot was discovered? How were the conspirators punished, and why do we still commemorate it on Guy Fawkes Night?

People behind the plot

Discover more about the plotters, why they joined the conspiracy, what their involvement was and how they met their fate

Also within Living Heritage

Also in this section

A chronology of significant events from 1532-1606 relating to the Gunpowder Plot

For schools

The Gunpowder Plot explained, for students.