Eclectica: Baddesley Clinton - a moated manor house

Baddesley Clinton is an medieval moated manor house just to the south east of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. The Baddesley part of the name comes from a Saxon called Baeddi who cleared the site in the Forest of Arden. The Clinton part comes from the Clinton family who dug the moat in the 13th century.

For 500 years the manor house was the home of the Ferrars family. If that seems a long time for one family to own a house consider that Country Life magazine estimated that there were still over 1500 houses and estates in England that had been owned by the same family for over 500 years.

The house is now owned by the National Trust and is open to the public.

Visitors to Baddesley Clinton cross the bridge, go through the gatehouse and come to a central courtyard with buildings on three sides. In many such houses there are buildings on all four sides but Baddesley Clinton is unusual.

One side of the courtyard is open. There might have been a great hall on this side at one point but now there is a garden.

Baddesley Clinton has had many owners who have extended or changed the house. Most of the façade is stone, but as you can see above, there is one side faced in brick. Some of the history of the house can be read in its structure.

Baddesley Clinton has three priest holes. These are concealed places where Catholic priests and their adherents could hide if the house was raided by government agents [the government was persecuting Catholics at the time the holes were created and priests faced torture and execution].

Two of the holes are covered up and cannot be seen. The trapdoor below is the entrance to the third, a disused sewer at the rear of the house. Several people hid in this hole for four hours when the house was raided.

If you want to see priest holes you should visit Harvington Hall. That manor house has more priest holes than any in England. It is only 25 miles away. Harvington Hall is to the south west of Birmingham and BC is to the south east of the city. You could also read my post on Harvington Hall.

The National Trust has done a superb job of furnishing the interior. Some of the furniture belonging to the house was sold during hard times so the Trust has brought in items from other houses, or donations it has received.