Exploring Madresfield Court Country House

Join me as I take a look at Madresfield Court country house and around its gardens and grounds near Malvern in Worcestershire England. Unfortunately no recording was allowed inside the house so I could only get video of the exterior of the house and the gardens and grounds. But, be under no illusion, the interior is very beautiful as a whole and stunningly beautiful in certain rooms. If you are interested in country house interiors I would definitely recommend a visit to Madresfield. My particular favourite part of the house was the crystal balustrade in the Staircase Hall. Absolutely beautiful to see and feel and must be amazingly rare, even in the opulent world of stately home ownership. What a lovely place :)

[@julietrask7497]

Thank you for sharing , just lovely.

[@AdamExploresBritain]

Thank you :)

[@casalindaphoto]

Thank you for the walkabout around my ancestral home and lands. My eight times great grandfather was Thomas E. Lygon (we spell it Ligon), accompanied his cousin, Sir William Berkeley who became the first governor of Virginia, to the colonies in 1641, so starting the American lineage.

[@AdamExploresBritain]

You're welcome. Very interesting about your ancestors too! There was actually an American family on the house tour (which unfortunately I couldn't film) who said that they were descendants of the Lygons. A father and mother and (I think) 2 children. It's an amazing place. Many thanks for watching my video, I appreciate it, Adam :)

[@gubbins1933]

Thank you for that impressive tour of the grounds. Especially helpful your 360º around Mercury. It really helps to understand the scale of the place. Cheers.

[@AdamExploresBritain]

You're very welcome, and I'm glad you found it interesting. Many thanks for watching and leaving me a message, Adam :)

[@tinawetzel3912]

Awe, too bad u couldn’t record inside. The Country House looked beautiful! The architecture was stunning. The gardens were equally as beautiful. It seems the owners had a varied sense of decor about them w/ the recreations of the “terra cotta” men found in the tomb in China to the statue of Mercury in the fountain, haha. Don’t get me wrong, they’re lovely. I really liked the covered area w/ the columns w/ seating inside. I can picture myself relaxing in there after a long walk around the gardens & reading a book while listening to the birds. Lastly, the rock garden. It was beautiful &I had no idea there were man made rocks just as heavy as the real thing! Thank u kindly, Adam, I enjoyed this video. Take care.

[@AdamExploresBritain]

Thanks for your comments again, and indeed for watching another of my videos :) Yeah, the wasps nearly got me in the little seat/covered area and I had to run away haha. I'm finding the 'Pulhamite' artificial rock works (by James Pulham & Son) quite interesting now I've found them at 2 estates recently. I'll certainly be on the lookout when I see rock gardens anywhere else :)

[@redwoods7370]

Oh I just love this gorgeous house! Very unique and special. If you google Madresfield Court interior, you will be able to see the beautiful rooms beautifully apportioned. This place just really speaks to me and I have no idea why because I live half a world away. I would love to visit one day.

[@AdamExploresBritain]

It is pretty gorgeous, I agree! It's in a lovely area too, just outside Malvern. Hopefully you'll get there one day. Thanks for watching, Adam :)

[@sgilbert5753]

For those too far away to be able to take a tour of the interiors themselves, they might wish to see something of Madresfield Court's interiors and can do so by web searching for the British interior decorators of Todhunter Earle, who decorated some of the rooms of the house in 2014. The web site has images of the stair case you mentioned as well as other architectural and decorative areas of interest to both historical interiors buffs and those wondering how they might redecorate a dark old odd house so it might be more comfortably a home environment. Thank you for taking us on your wanderings.

[@AdamExploresBritain]

That's amazing. Thanks for following up and sharing with people things that I hadn't done so in the video. The staircase glass blew me away to be quite honest. One of the best features I've seen in a country house. Thank you for coming on my wanderings with me :)

[@redwoods7370]

Thank you! The interior is just stunning and gorgeous. I love it.

[@johngay9194]

I’ve always wanted to visit! Thank you so much for this! I have Lygon blood in me from my fathers side!

[@AdamExploresBritain]

You're welcome John. thanks very much for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed it. All the best, Adam :)

[@ajadrew]

Stunning view at 5:43! At 10:43 you can start to see the emblem on left hand side of statue - it's almost identical to one of my old Schools emblems & I think it's something to do with medicine. The Royal Pinner School was its name though long since closed. Ceasers Lawn looks cool with the statues & even cooler with the huge Cedars of Lebanon behind - We had a really big one in our Grandparents garden in Hildenborough, Kent & I've always loved these trees. The rock garden looks impressive - shame they're not real rocks though & I noticed all the trees in the Poplar, Oak & Cherry walks are relatively very young. Nice gardens but in truth it's all a bit of a mishmash, no cohesion, no form, as if no one has really taken a dedicated interest in it. Shame we can't see inside though you didn't appear overly enthused after saying you'd toured 12 or so rooms. Good video all the same 👍😊

[@ajadrew]

@@SnowdropWood I'm talking about it's present state

[@AdamExploresBritain]

Yes, there were some very interesting bits in the gardens but it did lack a bit of cohesion in parts. The house was actually pretty impressive inside, it's just a shame that i wasn't allowed to show any of it. The main hall, especially, with its glass balustrade was pretty amazing! Adam :)

[@ajadrew]

@@AdamExploresBritain There was another video of the house which had some interior photos - looked good 👍

[@heathergreen6394]

I have to see that

[@TheReverb1]

Hello; thanks. ...seeing the moat there; I am wondering here how they prevented the humidity going up the walls to the inside of the house. Now in this Times; architects have enormous problems with even ponds or planters in modern houses regarding humidity...

[@AdamExploresBritain]

Good point! Unfortunately I have no idea how they managed this. It would be interesting to find out though. Adam :)

[@phantomnio3918]

This is literally not far from me!! I live in Malvern, funnily enough!

[@AdamExploresBritain]

You should go there one day :)

[@donna.mckirdy1514]

Would love to see the inside

[@AdamExploresBritain]

It's unfortunate that they don't allow filming inside. It is well worth a visit if you're ever in the area though :)

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

The house never used to be open at all, but every year they would have 'Daffodil Sunday' a day when the daffodils were out and you could enter the grounds to see the. I think they gave the money raised by the entrance fees ro charity. The grounds look pretty dull any other time, but when the daffs are out, Wordsworth would have been inmpressed. They did cream teas in the stable block. No idea id they still hold that. Another bit of trivia that I have never ben able to find out if it was true, is that Madresfield was actually the inspiration for Brideshead, Not Castle Howard, which was used in the series. Apparently Evelyn Waugh was a family friend and regular visitor. It was going to be a bit crowded if the Germans Had invaded, because I recently read that Hitler was planning to make his power base in Shropshire!

[@AdamExploresBritain]

According to the tour guide it was indeed Madresfield (well, the family) that Brideshead was inspired by and Waugh was a friend and visitor :)

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

Thank you for putting an old question to rest

[@AdamExploresBritain]

@@hogwashmcturnip8930 You're welcome :)

[@lemorab1]

In 1931, the Seventh Earl of Beauchamp was outed by his jealous brother-in-law, the Duke of Westminster, as a homosexual. The Duke resented the Earl's popularity, male heirs, splendid Royal appointments in the Court of King George V, in short, everything. The Earl was not discrete about his proclivities, though everyone in his social groups overlooked them, but they gave the Duke an opportunity for revenge. To avoid being openly charged with homosexuality, the Earl had to immediately resign from his Royal duties and leave Madresfield Court and England within 24 hours. He spent several years wandering around the gay hotspots of the world, until King George VI vacated all charges and welcomed him back home in 1936. Nevertheless, the marriage prospects of the daughters Mary, Dorothy and Sybil were ruined and the family was in disgrace. Lady Dorothy adjusted herself to this new state the best of all the daughters. Waugh based the character of Sebastian Flyte on second eldest son, Hugh Lygon. This whole story makes fascinating reading. Some of the doilies and antimacassars crocheted by the banished Earl may still be in the house to this day. Westminster was universally hated for what he did.

[@AdamExploresBritain]

Thank you for this additional info :)

[@georgeway2092]

love the architecture and the grounds ... ( could care less for who owned it ... )

[@AdamExploresBritain]

Yes, it is a gorgeous place :)

[@bradleyadams4496]

Before tuning in, it was suggested that I tune into the notion of sustaining life from food produced processing urine. I'm researching English countryside to establish heirloom varietals in orbit around the Earth, you know, for the habitats there, and I'm supposed to be the one concerned about pissant cheese.

[@AdamExploresBritain]

Not sure if you've commented on the wrong video there :)

[@gubbins1933]

@@AdamExploresBritain Goodness, bradley's comment was something else. Truly out of Monty Python. And now for something completely different.