Where
Boscobel House is a 17th-century timber-framed house in the countryside outside Wolverhampton. Charles II hid from Cromwell’s troops here.
What
“The lodge, once set in deep woodland, is where the future king took refuge after the battle of Worcester in 1651,” says Nicola Stacey, senior property historian for English Heritage’s West Midlands region.
“We have a descendant of the Royal Oak, where he hid for a day, and two priest-holes in the attic and one of the bedrooms. There is a new exhibition where you can listen to an account of Charles’s escape, and a 19th-century farmyard with a furnished dairy, smithy and stable.”
Opened
Visited by the public as early as the 17th century, Boscobel had a custodian in the 19th century, while remaining a family home. It was re-presented with new displays in April 2010.
Collection
“The collection in the house is a combination of 17th-century furnishings – including two verdure tapestries with figures from the 16th and 17th centuries – and 19th-century items,” says Stacey.
“We have restored the dairy to its appearance around 1900, with original Victorian pieces and specially commissioned replicas – such as local Shropshire settling pans and cream pots. The smithy has its original equipment and it still works.”
Help at hand
One manager, plus one full-time and two part-time members of staff. There are 25 volunteers.
Budget
Boscobel House is in the care of English Heritage, which is funded by government, revenue earned from its properties and donations and membership fees.
Visits
Nearly 12,000 in 2010. Boscobel House was open Wednesdays to Sundays, April to October but this year, for the first time, it is also open on weekends between November and March (as are an additional 14 English Heritage properties).
Highlights
“The 17th-century tapestry with a hunting dog in the tiny oratory is very evocative of the earliest period of Boscobel when it was a lodge set in deep woodland,” says Stacey.
Survival tip
“Bringing the farm to life helps people understand how the house has always been meshed with its landscape – today there are runner ducks and silkie chickens scratching around,” Stacey says.
Sticky moment
“Our custodians were showing Prince Charles one of the priest-holes when he visited in 2001, and realised what an extraordinary thing it must have been for a king to have hidden in such a cramped position,” Stacey says.
Current project
“We are conserving the Royal Oak, which has been badly damaged by storms, and hoping that it survives,” Stacey says.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/boscobel
Boscobel House is a 17th-century timber-framed house in the countryside outside Wolverhampton. Charles II hid from Cromwell’s troops here.
What
“The lodge, once set in deep woodland, is where the future king took refuge after the battle of Worcester in 1651,” says Nicola Stacey, senior property historian for English Heritage’s West Midlands region.
“We have a descendant of the Royal Oak, where he hid for a day, and two priest-holes in the attic and one of the bedrooms. There is a new exhibition where you can listen to an account of Charles’s escape, and a 19th-century farmyard with a furnished dairy, smithy and stable.”
Opened
Visited by the public as early as the 17th century, Boscobel had a custodian in the 19th century, while remaining a family home. It was re-presented with new displays in April 2010.
Collection
“The collection in the house is a combination of 17th-century furnishings – including two verdure tapestries with figures from the 16th and 17th centuries – and 19th-century items,” says Stacey.
“We have restored the dairy to its appearance around 1900, with original Victorian pieces and specially commissioned replicas – such as local Shropshire settling pans and cream pots. The smithy has its original equipment and it still works.”
Help at hand
One manager, plus one full-time and two part-time members of staff. There are 25 volunteers.
Budget
Boscobel House is in the care of English Heritage, which is funded by government, revenue earned from its properties and donations and membership fees.
Visits
Nearly 12,000 in 2010. Boscobel House was open Wednesdays to Sundays, April to October but this year, for the first time, it is also open on weekends between November and March (as are an additional 14 English Heritage properties).
Highlights
“The 17th-century tapestry with a hunting dog in the tiny oratory is very evocative of the earliest period of Boscobel when it was a lodge set in deep woodland,” says Stacey.
Survival tip
“Bringing the farm to life helps people understand how the house has always been meshed with its landscape – today there are runner ducks and silkie chickens scratching around,” Stacey says.
Sticky moment
“Our custodians were showing Prince Charles one of the priest-holes when he visited in 2001, and realised what an extraordinary thing it must have been for a king to have hidden in such a cramped position,” Stacey says.
Current project
“We are conserving the Royal Oak, which has been badly damaged by storms, and hoping that it survives,” Stacey says.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/boscobel