THE P RTAL
February 2012 Page 10
Harvington Hall
Eliza Treblecock visits this fascinating Tudor house
Hidden in the Worcestershire countryside near the village of Chaddesley Corbett is the Tudor House of Harvington Hall . Owned by the Archdiocese of Birmingham , the Hall contains no fewer than eight Hides ! Seven of them were designed to hide a priest during the reign of Elizabeth I , and one to hide vestments and the things required to say Mass .
The Hall is surrounded by a moat and there is an artificial lake : both date from the 13th century . Of course , over the years , there have been many changes . Buildings have been erected and then fallen or been pulled down . Nevertheless , parts of the present house date from the 1300s .
To visit Harvington is to be transported back to a time when to be a Catholic was to risk one ’ s life . Well furnished and beautifully kept , the Hall is next to the present Catholic Church . The Hall contains two chapels with another in the garden !
The Hides were designed by Saint Nicholas Owen . His shrine , together with that of Saint John Wall , is in the Parish Church next door . Owen was captured at Hindlip House near Worcester , and tortured by the authorities after the Gunpowder Plot . He had designed and built many Hides in many houses , yet revealed nothing ; even under terrible torture .
Belonging to the estates of the Earls of Warwick , Harvington came into the possession of the Pakington family . Humphrey Pakington who was born in 1555 , built Harvington Hall . He died in 1631 . As a Catholic , he was in grave danger . It was he who engaged Saint Nicholas Owen to build the Hides .
Quite why there are so many Hides at Harvington , we do not know . But we do know that no one was ever discovered inside one , no matter how hard the authorities searched .
In June 1644 the Hall was pillaged by Cromwell ’ s troops . On 3rd September 1651 Charles II rode past the lane leading to Harvinton on his way to Boscobel . One have little or no knowledge . cannot help musing that he could have saved himself a thirty mile ride if he had used one of the seven Hides at Harvington !
The Hall itself is delightful , and the staff helpful and informative . So much of our Catholic history is bound up with Harvington Hall . Indeed it is a history of which many converts
In the smaller of the two chapels in the main Hall the walls are decorated with what look like the three pears , the symbol of Worcestershire . However , on closer inspection one realises that they are also the tears and blood of Our Lord on the Cross . This is just part of the subterfuge that stalks almost every room at Harvington Hall .
The Hall has been well restored and is a joy to visit . Each year on the first Sunday of September a Pilgrimage is held at Harvington . It is for the English Martyrs . Prior to Mass there is the opportunity for confession , with Mass at 3pm . After this , people have their picnic in the beautiful surroundings . There is a lovely restaurant and one may pre-book a tour around the Hall .
The Hall is open for visits on many days during the year , If you go the web-site at http :// www . harvingtonhall . com / visiting . asp or e-mail them at harvingtonhall @ btconnect . com you will get all the details .
The address is : Harvington Hall , Harvington Hall Lane , Harvington , Kidderminster , Worcestershire , DY10 4LR . Telephone : ( 01562 ) 777846 Fax : ( 01562 ) 777190 .