About
Harvington Hall is a substantial moated manor house near Chaddesley Corbett in Worcestershire, dating principally from the Elizabethan period, and holds a genuinely exceptional distinction as the location containing the largest surviving number of priest holes, secret hiding places for Catholic priests, of any house in England, a remarkable physical legacy of the intense religious persecution faced by Catholic families and clergy in the decades following the Reformation.
Built around an earlier moated medieval site, the timber-framed and brick Elizabethan house that survives today was the seat of the Pakington family, prominent recusant Catholics who, like a significant minority of English gentry families, refused to conform to the newly established Protestant church and consequently faced fines, social exclusion and genuine legal danger for continuing to practise their Catholic faith and, crucially, for harbouring the Catholic priests who continued to minister secretly to England's recusant communities despite laws making such priests' very presence in the country a capital offence.
Several of Harvington's priest holes are attributed, at least in part, to the ingenious concealment techniques associated with Nicholas Owen, a Jesuit lay brother renowned for his skill in constructing hiding places so cleverly integrated into a house's existing structure that they frequently evaded discovery even during thorough searches by government pursuivants, work that ultimately led to Owen's own capture, torture and death in the Tower of London in 1606 and his later canonisation as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
Visitors to Harvington can explore several of these genuinely ingenious hiding places at close quarters, appreciating both the practical ingenuity of their construction and the very real desperation and danger that necessitated them, alongside the house's other notable features, including substantial surviving Elizabethan wall paintings that offer a rare glimpse of interior decoration from the period and a genuinely atmospheric great staircase.
Now owned by the Archdiocese of Birmingham, Harvington Hall's continuing Catholic association gives the site's presentation of recusant history a particular authenticity and depth, with interpretation drawing on both the physical evidence of the priest holes themselves and the wider documented history of Catholic persecution and survival in post-Reformation England.
The house's moated setting and surrounding gardens add further appeal to a visit, situating this genuinely remarkable survival of Elizabethan domestic and religious architecture within an attractive rural Worcestershire landscape that makes exploring both the building and its grounds a rewarding half-day out.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
💡 Visitor Tips
- Take a guided tour if available, as the priest holes are best appreciated with expert interpretation of their construction and history.
- Check the current season's opening days before travelling, as the Hall opens seasonally on selected days only.
- Allow time to appreciate the Elizabethan wall paintings alongside the priest hole tour.
- Wear comfortable footwear, as the tour route includes stairs and uneven historic floors.
- Combine your visit with a walk in the surrounding gardens and around the moat.
- Bring a car if possible, as public transport to this rural location is limited.
- Ask about the Nicholas Owen story, a genuinely dramatic thread connecting Harvington to national religious history.
- Note that the house has limited step-free access given its historic construction, particularly around the priest holes.
Highlights
England's Largest Collection of Priest Holes
Harvington Hall contains the largest surviving number of priest holes of any house in England, ingeniously concealed hiding places built to protect Catholic priests from discovery during the intense religious persecution of the post-Reformation era.
Nicholas Owen's Concealment Craft
Several of the priest holes are attributed, at least in part, to Nicholas Owen, a Jesuit lay brother renowned for his skill in constructing hiding places so cleverly integrated into a house's structure that they frequently evaded government searches, work that led to his own capture and death in 1606.
Elizabethan Wall Paintings
Substantial surviving wall paintings from the Elizabethan period offer a rare glimpse of interior decoration from the era, adding significant art historical interest to a visit focused primarily on the house's recusant history.
The Great Staircase
Harvington's genuinely atmospheric great staircase forms a memorable feature of a visit, its worn timber steps and historic setting evoking centuries of clandestine religious activity conducted within the house's walls.
Collections
Harvington Hall's collection and significance centre on its exceptional survival of Elizabethan priest holes, the largest such collection in any English house, alongside substantial Elizabethan wall paintings and the house's own moated medieval and Elizabethan architecture. Interpretation draws on the documented history of the Pakington family's Catholic recusancy and the wider persecution faced by English Catholics after the Reformation, with several priest holes attributed to the celebrated concealment craftsman Nicholas Owen.
Owned by the Archdiocese of Birmingham, the site's continuing Catholic association gives its presentation of this history a particular depth and authenticity.
The Priest Holes of Harvington Hall
A tour of the house's exceptional collection of priest holes, with interpretation of their construction and the persecution that necessitated them.
Elizabethan Wall Paintings
Surviving Elizabethan-period wall paintings offering a rare glimpse of period interior decoration.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.