Priest Hiding Spots at Baddesley Clinton

Baddesley Clinton, a moated manor house in Warwickshire, England, holds a history dating back to the 13th century. The manor has seen numerous ownership changes, the last being in 1940 when it was purchased by a relative of the Ferrers family named Thomas Walker. However, this manor has a unique relationship with Catholicism, serving as a shelter for priests during religious persecution.

Three known priest hiding spots can be found at Baddesley Clinton. One is a small room off the Moat Room, hidden behind a door. Another is in the roof, large enough to hide six people. A third is hidden in an old privy. Fugitives could slide down a rope into the house’s sewers through an old garderobe shaft. These priest holes were built by Saint Nicholas Owen, who was caught and tortured to death by the Protestant English government. The existence of a fourth possible hide is debated.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons