Harvington Hall

For the village of near Evesham, see Harvington.

Harvington Hall is a moated medieval and Elizabethan manor house in the hamlet of Harvington in the civil parish of Chaddesley Corbett, south-east of Kidderminster in the English county of Worcestershire.

It is open to the public.

History

Harvington Hall belonged to the Protestant Pakington family. It was constructed by Humphrey Packington, during the 1580’s. Mary Pakington, daughter of Humphrey, came into possession of Harvington Hall upon his death on August 6, 1531. She became Catholic upon her marriage to Sir John Yate. In 1647 it was pillaged by Roundhead troops. During the 19th Century it was stripped of furniture and paneling and the shell was left almost derelict. The Hall later passed by marriage to the Throckmorton family from nearby Coughton Court.

Harvington Hall belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham and is particularly notable for its vestment-hide and seven priest-holes, four of which are built around the main staircase and are thought to be the work of Nicholas Owen. The false fireplace in the Marble Room led to two hides in the attics. An altar stone is said to have been discovered in a secret recess in one of the angle turrets.

Harvington Hall was given to the Archdiocese of Birmingham by Ellen Ferris (1870–1955), whose son Robert was Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 1970 to 1974 and later became Lord Harvington.

Gallery

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  Library with priest hole
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  Withdrawing room with priest hole
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  Grave of Lord Harvington and his mother at St Mary's Catholic Church, Harvington. The roof of Harvington Hall is visible in the background.

See also

• Father Wall

Further reading

• "Priest Holes, moats and knots". BBC Hereford & Worster. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
• "Harvington Hall Leaflet (2017)" (PDF). Harvington Hall – Step Back in Time. Retrieved 23 September 2017.