Birtsmorton Court
Encyclopedia
Birtsmorton Court is a medieval moated manor house
near Malvern
in Worcestershire
, in the former woodlands of Malvern Chase
. The English place name element birt-, which often signifies the birch
es such as grow in this low-lying site, in this particular case may be a transformation of de Brute, holding the manor under Edward I
. The manor was mentioned in Domesday; the present house, partly half-timbered built on a courtyard plan, is in part of the 13th century. In 1424-25 Birtsmorton became the seat of John Nanfan, who demolished most of the earlier structure before his death, ca 1447. The house was remodelled for Giles Nanfan, ca. 1572, as heraldry in the Great Hall
suggests. The last male heir, Bridges Nanfan, left the estate to his daughter Catherine.
The present picturesque aspect of the house is in part due to antiquarian restoration and emendation by Frederick S. Waller
, 1871-72. The east range, destroyed by fire in the 18th century, was in 1929-30 by A. Hill Parker and Son, in what Pevsner called a "successful pastiche".
Birtsmorton Court was the birth place of William Huskisson
on 11 March 1770, although he left when he was 13. The house provided a setting for William Samuel Symonds
' historical novel Malvern Chase.
It is now privately owned and available for wedding receptions and other special events. See Birtsmorton Court which has a picture of it on the main page. Location WR13 6JS
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
near Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, in the former woodlands of Malvern Chase
Malvern Chase
Malvern Chase occupied the land between the Malvern Hills and the River Severn in Worcestershire and extended to Herefordshire from the River Teme to Cors Forest....
. The English place name element birt-, which often signifies the birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
es such as grow in this low-lying site, in this particular case may be a transformation of de Brute, holding the manor under Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
. The manor was mentioned in Domesday; the present house, partly half-timbered built on a courtyard plan, is in part of the 13th century. In 1424-25 Birtsmorton became the seat of John Nanfan, who demolished most of the earlier structure before his death, ca 1447. The house was remodelled for Giles Nanfan, ca. 1572, as heraldry in the Great Hall
Great Hall
Great Hall may refer to* Great hall, the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or large manor house* Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square, Beijing* Great Hall of the University of Sydney, Australia* Cooper_Union#The_Great_Hall, New York...
suggests. The last male heir, Bridges Nanfan, left the estate to his daughter Catherine.
The present picturesque aspect of the house is in part due to antiquarian restoration and emendation by Frederick S. Waller
Frederick S. Waller
F[rederick] S[andham] Waller was a British architect and antiquarian of Gloucester, where he was the resident architect to the dean and chapter of Gloucester Cathedral...
, 1871-72. The east range, destroyed by fire in the 18th century, was in 1929-30 by A. Hill Parker and Son, in what Pevsner called a "successful pastiche".
Birtsmorton Court was the birth place of William Huskisson
William Huskisson
William Huskisson PC was a British statesman, financier, and Member of Parliament for several constituencies, including Liverpool...
on 11 March 1770, although he left when he was 13. The house provided a setting for William Samuel Symonds
William Samuel Symonds
William Samuel Symonds , English geologist, was born in Hereford.He was educated at Cheltenham College and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1842. Having taken holy orders he was appointed curate of Offenham, near Evesham in 1843, and two years later he was presented to the...
' historical novel Malvern Chase.
It is now privately owned and available for wedding receptions and other special events. See Birtsmorton Court which has a picture of it on the main page. Location WR13 6JS
Owners
- Nigel and Rosalie Dawes (current owners for over 40 years)
- Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt (b. 1874), the husband (m. 1920) of Lady Norah Beatrice Henriette Spencer-Churchill (1875–1946)