Issue HANLEY MATTERS No. 10 the newsletter of The Hanleys’ Village Society Spring 2006 OFFICERS LOCAL HISTORY COUNTY VERNACULAR President Nick Lechmere OPEN DAY ARCHITECTURE Tel: 0771 644927 Chair To coincide with an Archives In her talk on the vernacular Ian Bowles Tel: 311931 Roadshow at which the County architecture of Worcestershire, Record Office (CRO) will show Shona Robson-Glyde, County Treasurer John Boardman examples of material from its collection Historic Buildings Archaeologist, Tel: 311748 relating to the Hanleys, the Society will explained that by vernacular she Secretary & Newsletter mount another Local History Open meant buildings built by local people Editor Malcolm Fare Day on Saturday, 3rd June. for local people. They include Tel: 311197 People are invited to exhibit any industrial structures, such as kilns, Archaeological Officer historical material of local interest – mills and warehouses, as well as a Peter Ewence Tel: 561702 photographs, albums, postcards, wide variety of domestic and prints, paintings, scrapbooks, letters, agricultural buildings. Programme Secretary David Thomas deeds, family trees, archeological Worcestershire’s vernacular Tel: 310437 finds. Please contact the Secretary, if architecture dates back to medieval you would like to display something. times, when houses and cottages FORTHCOMING ACTIVITIES The occasion will also mark the made use of elm, lias stone 31 March 2006 unveiling of a display case donated foundations, wattle and thatch. Talk on the Malvern to the Society by Mrs Anne At Wychbold, Old Astwood Farm Hill Forts by Deborah Portsmouth in memory of her uncle is a good example of a large Overton. and mother, John and Betty King, farmhouse that began as a timber- Village Hall, 7.30 pm. formerly of Gilberts End Farm. framed building in the 1580s, added 3 June 2006 brick wings in the 17th century, History open day. Village Hall, 10–5. LECHMERE PAPERS replaced its core with a new hall in the 19th century and was extended 27 June 2006 CATALOGUED Guided walk on the in late Victorian times – all using Malvern hill fort site of local materials. Midsummer Hill by Lechmere family papers dating back West Lodge Farm at Upton Deborah Overton. Gullet Quarry car park, to the 13th century have been held Warren also started life in the 16th 7 pm. in the CRO for many years, but until century, but as a hunting lodge recently it has been difficult to before having various brick 29 September 2006 AGM & Talk by Mick identify precisely what was in store. structures added in the 18th Wilkes on the history The CRO has just spent 6 months century as it was adapted for farm of the RAF in listing the contents in detail and this use. The diamond-shaped Worcestershire. Village Hall, 7.30 pm. catalogue has now been added to a ventilation holes in its threshing barn national online website – are unique to Worcestershire. 30 September 2006 www.a2a.org.uk. There used to be a church house Guided tour of four local churches by Tim On 3rd June, as part of the Open in every parish – some 500 in Bridges. Day, Paul Hudson, head of the Worcestershire alone – but today Village Hall car park, 2 History Centre in Worcester, will only two survive. At Arley Kings, pm - approx. 2 hours. bring examples from the Lechmere near Stourport, the largest building 17 November 2006 archive to the Village Hall and give in the parish was built in 1536, Talk by John Pinnick on the history of talks on the archive at 11 am and 3 serving as a community centre, to Worcester porcelain. pm. He will also explain how to use stage plays and hold parties, ale Village Hall, 7.30 pm. the website. being brewed by the churchwarden. WORCESTERSHIRE CHURCHES would have had on those entering. In a fascinating and well- to an attractive blending of Mr Bridges said that no illustrated talk, Tim Bridges, medieval and modern, with discussion of the county ’s Collections Manager at plain whitewashed walls and a churches could be complete Worcester City Museum, quarry tile floor. without reference to that introduced members to the Ripple is known for its 15th unique example of English treasures of Worcestershire century misericords, which are baroque style, Great Witley, churches. carved with images of village the most magnificently He pointed out that many activities during the year, decorated Georgian church to churches were built on pre- including hedging, sowing, be found anywhere in Christian sites of spiritual reaping and killing a pig. England. Lavish paintings significance, such as Roman Pershore Abbey has one of cover the ceilings and glass temples, as may have been the most beautiful interiors in bought from Canons, the the case at Hanley Castle. the county, a soaring forest of Middlesex home of the Duke The remains of an Anglo- moulded ribs rising from the of Chandos, fills every Saxon gravestone, known as chancel to a lierne vault. window. The organ case, also the Lechmere stone, indicates Carved bosses include Green from Canons, is believed to that a Christian church existed Men. have been used by Handel. in Hanley by about the 10th That most English of More typical of the period is century. architectural styles, the small church at Croome In the 1670s the Lechmere perpendicular gothic, can be d’Abitot designed for the Earl family rebuilt a chapel at the seen in Malvern Priory, which of Coventry by Capability east end of the church in is justly famous for having one Brown and with a canopied brick, a rare early use of this of the greatest collections of pulpit attributed to Robert material. stained glass in England. Adam. It contains an The cathedral-scale church Little Malvern Priory, outstanding collection of of Tewkesbury Abbey, with its founded as a daughter house Coventry family monuments. mix of Anglo-Saxon and to Worcester cathedral in The church at Hanley Swan Norman styles indicates what 1125, was partly demolished by Sir George Gilbert Scott Worcester cathedral would after the Reformation, but and Stanbrook Abbey, Callow have looked like when Bishop Little Malvern Court contains End, by Pugin are examples Wulfstan rebuilt it in the 11th the 14th century refectory and of the gothic revival style that century. in the grounds are the remains became popular in the 19th Norman features can also of medieval fishponds. century. be seen at Earls Croome, In the 16th century the Mr Bridges said that in the which has a particularly fine Reformation removed all 20th century, although many south doorway. colour from churches, but the churches had been adapted Hidden away north of gallery at Strensham still has for other use, some had Defford at Besford is a church canopied panels with painted installed new works of art, with a remarkable 14th figures, which give an such as stained glass century timber-framed nave – indication of the richness of windows in Hanley Swan, a feature now unique in medieval church furnishings. Martley and Malvern Priory, all Worcestershire. The chancel What a medieval church by the artist Tom Denny is divided from the nave by the would actually have looked whose work at the Priory medieval rood loft, a rare like can be seen by visiting incorporates a view of the sun survival in the county. Newlands where, in the mid- rising above the Malvern Hills, At Martley with its striking 19th century, Earl Beauchamp and the Worcestershire pear. orange red sandstone tower, of Madresfield Court built an Tim Bridges brought along an 11th century incense boat unusual group of almshouses some copies of the revised and sacring bell were found and a church lavishly edition of his Churches of underneath the pulpit, rare decorated with medieval-style Worcestershire and they survivals of medieval worship. frescoes. The interior were quickly snapped up. When the interior was restored recreates the effect that a Further copies are available in 1909, the influence of the medieval church, with all its from Beacon Bookshop in Arts and Crafts movement led paintwork and ornamentation, Malvern.