Last Wednesday D and I had an afternoon out at NT Baddesley Clinton. I used to visit Baddesley and Packwood several times a year but I checked and I have only visited Baddesley once since 2020! D has bought an electric car since passing his driving test so for once I had the luxury of being driven there!
The name Baddesley derives from Saxon times when a man called Baeddi, Badde, or Bade, made a clearing in the wood to graze cattle. This would have had a ditch and wooden pallisade to protect against predators. The clearing was called a "leah" or "ley" hence the name Badde's Ley.
We had lunch first and sat outside in the sunshine watching birds foraging for crumbs under the tables - a pair of Great Tits, a Chaffinch, a pair of Dunnocks and, unusually, a Nuthatch!
D had a cheese ploughman's sandwich and I had egg and cress and we shared a piece of Lemon Poppy Seed cake which was lovely. I think we've had this cake before at Brockhampton? and it was good there too.
Baddesley Clinton is a lovely moated manor house.
The first de Clinton to live at Baddesley was a James de Clinton in the early C14th who probably had the moat dug and put up the first buildings. Today only a part of these survive in one of the walls of the existing manor house.
The estate had several owners in the C15th until it was purchased by a wealthy lawyer, John Brome, who eventually became the Under Treasurer of the Exchequer. I've mentioned the Bromes before one of them killed two men, one of whom was a priest who he found flirting with his wife! For that crime, in penance, he built a tower at a nearby church.
In 1517 Baddesley Clinton came into the possession of the Ferrers family who owned it for nearly 500 years. The Ferrers were a Catholic family in the time of religious upheaval and Nicholas Owen, the renowned designer of priest holes, built hiding places at Baddesley for up to 12 priests.
At the end of the C17th the estate declined until the second half of the C19th when a group called The Quartet restored the house. The Quartet consisted of Marmion Ferrers who married Rebecca Orpen in 1867 and two years later they were joined at Baddesley by Rebecca's aunt Lady Georgina Chatterton and her second husband Edward Dering. They spent their time restoring the house, painting, writing and discussion religion.
Baddesley Clinton was taken over by the National Trust in 1980.
There were Spring flowers everywhere - primroses, daffodils, lesser celandine, violets and
Dog's Mercury.
We went for a walk around the lake - you can tell I've finished the pencillin (thank goodness!) and, touch wood, cellulitis has disappeared.
There were Canada Geese, Mallard and Tufted Duck on the pool.
We finished the walk in the walled garden.
A blurred photo of Timothy!
Mistletoe!
Gun loops by the main door at the gatehouse.
The wicket gate in the ancient door has apotropaic marks to protect the house from the perceived threat of evil. I can make out 3 marks (sorry hard to take a photo that shows these) including a pentagram and a marian symbol. The interior of the house also has burn marks - another apotropaic symbol but I forgot to look for those. Thanks to James Wright. a buildings archaeologist, for his talk on the Secrets of Ancient Doors when these were mentioned.
We had a timed ticket for 2.45 pm to look round the house interior.
Edward Dering commissioned this representation of the Black Horse crest and it is located in the servants' quarters.
The pantry
I didn't take too many photos of the rooms as to be honest it was quite dark inside (understandably many of the curtains are kept fully or partially closed to protect the furnishings).
I did, however, take loads of photos of the heraldic stained glass so I can practise my newly acquired skills and try and blazon (describe in heraldic terms) some of them. Although I won't be sharing my attempts you'll be relieved to hear!!! It is a steep learning curve!
I have some information on the glass from a book on Heraldry at Baddesley that I bought years ago - typically I can't find the book even though I have found most of the other information I have on Baddesley and the church. So I've had to look back at a past blog post. I've also acquired another book on heraldry at the house and church by a different author!
Baddesley Clinton contains 170 coats of arms, dating from the C11th to C20th, representing members of the Ferrers and Derring family.
The arms of the Ferrers of Baddesley Clinton impaling the arms of Hampden. (Henry Ferrers married Catherine Hampden. Henry died before his father so the estate passed to his son Edward.)
On the left is the shield for the marriage of William Ferrers, Earl of Derby, to Agnes, Lady Chartley, daughter of Hugh Keveliok, Earl of Chester.
On the right the shield represents the marriage of William Ferrers to his second wife, Margaret, Lady of Groby, daughter of Roger d' Quincey, Earl of Winchester.
The arms of the Ferrers of Chartley impaling the arms of Orpen (marriage between Marmion Ferrers and Rebecca Orpen in 1867)
Thomas Scudamore, Hereford, impaling Agnes Whyte 1585
The Dering quarterly coat of arms. Edward Dering married twice his 1st wife was Georgina Chatterton and his second wife was Rebecca Ferrers, widow of Marmion Ferrers.
Chartley quartering - the crest is a unicorn on ermine.
Froggenhall impaling Ferrers of Baddesley Clinton for Thomas Froggenhall who married Margaret, daughter of St Thomas Ferrers d. 1534.
Ferrers of Groby
Lord William Windsor of Bradenham
The arms of Henry Ferrers passed down after he died to his son Edward Arthur (1881-1934).
Dining Room and one of the parlours
The Chapel
Blood stain in the library near the hearth! Legend suggests the blood came from the priest when he was murdered by Nicholas Brome. However, the blood has been tested and probably comes from an animal such as a pig.
The Blue Lady - I love this portrait which used to hang in one of the bedrooms. I did once cut out an article on this painting which from memory explained the signficance of the various jewels in her necklace but sadly, like the Heraldry book, I can't find it.
We had a look round the second hand bookshop and D came away with a NT Encyclopedia of Great Britain and I bought a book on the history of the families that have lived at Baddesley which I can't wait to read.
We had a look round the shop and the plants for sale and D treated me to a Snakeshead Fritilliary to replace the one I lost from the dreaded lily beetles.
A few photos from D - I've gone a trifle OTT with photos this post!
Chaffinch at the tables
A better photo of the library blood stain.
If you enlarge this photo by clicking on it you may be able to make out the three apotropaic marks on the wicker gate. I think they may show up more than on my photo.
Rare photo of me!
In common with many old buildings, Baddesley Clinton has its fair share of ghostly sightings and happenings. There are reports of the inevitable "Grey Lady" being spotted. A lady in a long dress of grey, black or dark green has been seen mainly in the upstairs rooms but sometimes in the Great Hall.
An unusual type of "haunting" was seen by two guests of Rebecca Ferrers (later Dering - she married Edward following the deaths of Marmion Ferrers and Lady Chatterton). The two guests on separate occasions reported the sudden appearance of a portrait in a gilt frame of a young officer with a white belt across his chest. Rebecca thought it was a portrait of Major Thomas Ferrers, son of Edward Ferrers, who was born on 10th April, 1776. He died by accidentally falling from ramparts in Cambrai in 1817 when he was serving in the army of occupation.
Another of Rebecca's guests heard tapping and thumping and someone running down the corridor and knocking on walls as well as shaking the door handle.
On one occasion, after the National Trust had taken over the property, the house manager heard footsteps in the upstairs corridor even though he was in the house alone. A volunteer sitting by the sacristy late one afternoon heard footsteps and the sound of heavy breathing.
A group of heavy footed but unseen men have been heard in the vicinity of the second hand bookshop.
There have been sightings of the ghost of Nicholas Brome (the man who killed the priest) at the nearby church of St Michael's. He has been seen several times on the anniversary of his death.
Reference: Baddesley Clinton guide book and information on National Trust Website
"Heraldry at Baddesley Clinton" 2nd ed by Clem Hindmarch and Mary Tweddle.
"The Heraldry of Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire: the Moated Manor House and Church: A Pictorial Guided Tour" by Bernard Juby
"Baddesley Clinton The Living Waters" 600 years of family life in a moated manor by Baddesley Clinton Archive Group 2017
Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and photos marked *D taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks)
