Saturday 15 June 2024: Guided Tour of Madresfield Court, Malvern
The Pre-Raphaelite Society is lucky to have been able to arrange a guided tour of this beautiful house and estate.
Madresfield Court and Estate is situated in the beautiful, rural Worcestershire and nestles between the Malvern Hills and the River Severn. It has been home to the Lygon family for over 900 years and has never been bought or sold since records began in 1120. Madresfield Court contains some extraordinary examples of Arts and Crafts decoration. The carvings in the Library are considered to be the major achievement of the Guild of Handicraft based in Chipping Campden and were designed by Charles Ashbee with the involvement of the 7th Earl.
The Chapel is considered to contain the most important scheme of decorative painting and probably the most famous of all the Arts and Craft schemes from the Birmingham Group. The wall paintings were designed and executed by Henry Payne and three young assistants and show an idyllic scene of innocent children playing amidst flower-strewn meadows. There are forty-six different flowers and plants, all found on the estate at the time.
Madresfield Court is first mentioned specifically in a charter of Henry 1, dating from the 1120s, and it is known that William de Bracy lived at the court in 1260. His descendants, the Lygon family, have lived here ever since. The house has a rich history, with both Edward Elgar and Evelyn Waugh (who based Brideshead Revisited on the family and the house) being frequent visitors, and later during the Second World War, arrangements were made for the Royal Family to reside at Madresfield had they been forced to leave London. The current occupants are Lucy Chenevix-Trench and her family. Lucy is the great niece of the late Earl, and she and her family are the 28th and 29th generations of the family to live at Madresfield.
The guided tour will take us around the house, showing us the details and telling the stories of the family who have occupied it for centuries. Afterwards you will be free to explore the garden and grounds.
There are no refreshments available at the venue but you are free to bring a picnic or there are local establishments where you can get refreshments or lunch.
Created 1 May 2024