Return to Baddesley

I had a day out with a friend a few weeks ago and she wanted to go to Baddesley Clinton to see the dahlias. To be honest I've delayed writing a post on our trip as it wasn't long after my previous visit. I have kept dahlia and scarecrow images to a minimum this time!!

As mentioned before, Baddesley Clinton is a moated manor house built in the late 1500's by Henry Ferrers, a lawyer, diarist and antiquarian. Baddesley Clinton remained the home of the Ferrers family for 400 years. The family remained constant in their Catholic faith and were often short of funds, but the house was passed from father to son for 12 generations until being sold in the 1940's.

There were several people wandering around in period costume perhaps for the benefit of several school parties that were visiting.

We had a look round the house itself first of all. The house is a delight and I discover something new every time I walk round. Some parts were closed on the day we went for "deep cleaning" so I didn't get to see my favourite "Blue Lady" portrait but other rooms had been opened up. Not too many photos of the rooms - usual problem low light and no flash allowed equals ridiculously slow shutter speeds.

The tour used to begin in the Great Hall but it now starts in the Servants Quarters.

Baddesley Clinton has many examples of armorial glass and shields both in the House and Church. There are more than 170 Shields of Arms dating from the 11th to 20th centuries - these represent members and marriages of the Ferrers and Dering families. The Dering Crest contains The Black Horse of Dering with its gold mane and tail and dates back to Saxon times. Edward Dering commissioned this window with Black Horse crest for the new Servants Quarters.

This Crest contains the arms of Ferrers of Baddesley Clinton impaling (to place 2 coats of arms side by side on one single shield for husband and wife) the arms of Hampden.

The crest on the left representing the marriage of Williams of Ferrers, Earl of Derby, marrying Agnes Lady of Chartley, daughter of Hugh Keveliok, Earl of Chester. The arms of the Ferrers of Chartley are impaling the arms of Chester. The crest on the right marks the marriage of Ferrers Earl of Derby to Margaret Lady of Groby, daughter of Roger de Quincy, Earl of Winchester.

The crest in the middle shows the arms of Ferners of Chartley impaling the arms of Orpen. Marmion became "by right" Baron de Ferrers on the death of his uncle in 1855. The crest on the right combines the arms of Edward Heneage Dering and Georgiana Lady Chatterton in 1859.

It is believed that this shield in the Dining Room is commemorative of Henry Ferrers who died in 1526 and his wife Catherine.

This shield impales the arms of Henry Ferrers and those of his wife Catherine Hampden (mentioned above).

It starts to get confusing now this shows the arms of Hampden impaling the arms of Ferrers of Baddesley Clinton and are for Henry Hampden who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Edward Ferrers.

I forgot to take a photo of the notes that accompanied this piece of glass but from memory it has been restored.

The Chapel - used by Jesuit priests. Next door is the Sacristry (too dark to get a photo) but there was a garderobe at the end of the room which became the escape route into the sewer below when Jesuit priests were in residence. The house also has a couple of priest holes.

There is an exhibition in the Parlour celebrating the artistic work of a group known as The Quartet. This consisted of Marmion Edward Ferrers, his wife Rebecca and their friends Lady Georgiana Chatterton and her second husband Edward Dering.

We had a very tasty soup for lunch - Celery, Apple and Stilton and then looked round the Walled Garden.

Just a few dahlias.......!

I just love the colour of this Michaelmas Daisy.

I think this is a Tapered Drone Fly again - they seem to crop up wherever I go!

Just one Scarecrow - one I missed last time - meet Dick Turnip.

Several of the apple trees had mistle-toe growing on them.

We didn't have time for tea and cake but I did bring a few scones home.

If I am honest they really were rather disappointing.

Of course, I couldn't come away without buying a couple of books!! I've used information from the Heraldry book for some of the comments on crests and shields above.