Harvington Hall

Harvington Lane
Harvington
Kidderminster
Worcestershire
DY10 4LR

Tel: +44 (0)1562 777 846
Fax: +44 (0)1562 777 190
Email: harvingtonhall@btconnect.com


The moated island was made about 1260 and parts of the Hall are medieval, but most of it was built by Humphrey Pakington about 1580. Many rooms have their orignal Elizabethan wall paintings.

Humphrey Pakington was a catholic, the Hall contains the best surviving series of priest holes in the country. Four of them seem to be the work of the master-builder of hides, Nicholas Owen, who was arrested at Hindlip, near Worcester, in 1606 and tortured to death in The Tower of London. Nevertheless, Humphrey held a post in the household of Lord Chancellor Ellesmere and the family letters refer to politics, London fashions and rare plants acquired from the royal gardener Tradescant, as well as to coach mares, the bribing of juries, medical treatment and lamprey pies.

In 1696, on the death of Humphrey's daughter Mary, Lady Yate, Harvington was inherited by the Throckmortons of Coughton in Warwickshire who demolished two sides of the courtyard and made minor alterations elsewhere. In 1743 they replaced the old domestic chapel by a larger one in the garden, which was restored in 1986-87 with a Georgian altar and chamber organ. The present church, which contains a Regency organ and a fine modern bronze by Faith Tolkien, was built by the Throckmortons in 1825. The Georgian church then became the village school.

Later in the 19th century, the hall was stripped of furniture and panelling and the shell was left almost derelict. In 1923 it was bought for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham which restored it and opened it to the public.

Among other activities, it is now the centre of a music festival every July and of a pilgrimage every September. Since the Hall has been little altered since the early 18th century, it is an ideal site for teaching Tudor and Stuart history in accordance with the National Curriculum.

 

Opening Times
(2007 times)
April to September:
Wednesday to Sunday 11.30am. to 5.00pm. Last entrance at 4.30pm.

October: Saturday and Sunday 11.30am - 5.00pm.

Closed Good Friday, but open on Bank Holiday Mondays.

Admission Charges
(2007 prices)
Hall Only:
Adult: £5.00; Child 5-16yrs £3.50; Senior Citizen £4.30; Family (2 adults, 2 children): £14.50.

Garden Only: £1.00.

Directions
Harvington Hall is 3 miles south east of Kidderminster, about half a mile east of A450 from Birmingham to Worcester and about half a mile north of A448 from Kidderminster to Bromsgrove.
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Nearby Attractions
Stone House Cottage Gardens (1 Mile)*
Stone House Cottage Gardens is a one acre walled plantsman's garden with towers. A huge range of unusual plants grown - many for sale in the adjoining nursery. Climbing plants are a speciality.
Worcestershire County Museum (3 Miles)*
Hartlebury Castle has been home to the Bishops of Worcester for over a thousand years.
Hagley Hall (5 Miles)*
Hagley Hall and Park are among the supreme achievements of eighteenth-century English architecture and landscape gardening.
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Nearby Hotels
Menzies Stourport Manor Hotel (4 Miles)*
Set in 23 acres, the Menzies Stourport Manor is a contemporary country house hotel conveniently located near Kidderminster, just 5 miles from junction 3 of the M5 and close to many local attractions.
Bromsgrove Hotel (4 Miles)*
The Bromsgrove Hotel - a 4 star hotel in the Heart of England - mixes beautiful Mediterranean architecture with striking contemporary interiors.
Ramada Kidderminster (5 Miles)*
The Ramada Kidderminster, set in the heart of the Worcestershire Countryside, has a host of exciting places to visit only a short walk or drive away.
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Nearby Self Catering
Beech Tree Cottage (5 Miles)*
Beech Tree Cottage sits at the centre of the historical town of Bewdley situated in Worcestershire. Bewdley is derived from "Beau Lieu" or "beautiful place" and there has been a settlement in Bewdley since Saxon times.
Sabrina Cottage (6 Miles)*
Sabrina Cottage is a pretty Grade II Listed cottage overlooking the River Severn and situated in the heart of Bewdley, which was once described as "the most perfect small Georgian town in Worcestershire".
Severn Cottage (6 Miles)*
Severn Cottage is a beautiful Grade II Listed cottage situated in the centre of the captivating Georgian town of Bewdley, and perfectly positioned overlooking the River Severn, famed for its scenic beauty and abundant wildlife.
Your property could be here
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

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