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A guide to some local attractions that you
may wish to combine with a visit to the Fox Inn |
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Harvington Hall
1km
A moated medieval and Elizabethan manor-house just a stone's throw from
the pub. Many of the rooms still have their original Elizabethan
wall-paintings and the Hall contains the finest series of priest-holes
anywhere in the country. It was Humfrey Pakington who moved the manorial seat to Harvington Hall.
His father John had allowed the old manor house to fall into decay so he
initiated a major rebuilding and expansion programme to the property one
mile to the west of Chaddesley. Occupied by 1595, the house has had
quite a turbulent history. Elizabeth Holt, daughter of Sir Thomas Holt,
took refuge here when their family home at Aston Hall was occupied by
the Roundheads. Indeed, she died here and her memorial can be found at
the church in the St.Nicholas Chapel. Following the restoration, Lady
Mary Yate (nee Pakington) fell foul of the authorities for remaining
true to her Catholic faith. She gave shelter to many Catholic priests
and, in particular, to Father Wall. He was eventually caught at nearby
Rushock Court and became the last Catholic martyr in England. Following
Lady Mary's death in 1696, the estate passed by marriage by the
Throckmorton family of Coughton Court near Alcester.
Click here for the official
website. |
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Rosedene
4km
Operated
by the National Trust, Rosedene is one of the last surviving intact
Chartist cottages in Dodford, the location of a settlement created by
Feargus O'Connor in the mid-19th century. The early settlers found the
clay soil hard to work and, consequently, hard to earn a living.
However, many of them succeeded in selling strawberries to local centres
such as Birmingham. The settlements created by the Chartists via the
National Land Company were acquired with money raised through the sales
of shares. However, the allocation of cottages and smallholdings was a
lottery and few people actually achieved their dream of land and a vote.
The scheme did prove successful in that it provided tangible evidence
that the Chartists were more than a political movement bogged down by
dogma of the era. Admission to this Chartist cottage is by pre-booked
guided tours only so if you would like to discover click on the
National Trust website. |
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Severn Valley Railway
10km
Kidderminster Station is just a short hop away from the Fox Inn. Here
you can travel back in time by travelling by steam to Bridgnorth, a 16
mile journey with fantastic scenery. The route follows closely the
meandering course of the River Severn for most of the way - a key
highlight of the trip is the crossing of the river by means of the
Victoria Bridge - a massive 200-foot single span, high above the water.
Services run every weekend of the year and daily at peak times. 'Santa
Special' trains operate on weekends in December with a daily service
operating from Boxing Day through to the New Year. For more information
click on the official Severn Valley
Railway website. |
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Avoncroft Museum
12km
Avoncroft is a fascinating museum of historic buildings spanning seven
centuries, rescued and rebuilt on a beautiful open-air site in the north
of Worcestershire. You can see craftsmen working in a 19th century
workshop, admire the splendour of the furnished historic houses, or be
transported to the heart of historic social and working life at one of
the museum's special events and exhibitions. Click on the official
Avoncroft Museum website for
more details. |
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