May Day Living House at Harvington Hall
Overview
Today we have been invited to wander around Harvington Hall as the staff dress in clothes from the Elizabethan period, and bring the hall to life.
We will be joining in with their May Day celebrations as they open the doors on their popular Living House event. Meet and speak with the characters of Harvington's Tudor past, from the cooks in the kitchen to the main man of the house, Humphrey Pakington esquire.
We can expect to witness the traditional dancing around the maypole, and we can have a go ourselves if we wish! Humphrey Pakington is also inviting you to his hiring fair where he will try and recruit new workers for his household, but don't expect this to run as smoothly as it should! Everyone will be trying to stand out from the rest, so expect some foul play amongst the musicians, cooks and the maids as they try and attract the attention of their potential employer.
In between the dancing and hiring fair you are welcome to walk around the Hall and discover its many secrets, tour guides will be on hand to answer any questions.
Includes
- Entrance to Harvington Hall and Gardens on their May Day Living House day
- Discussions with the guides who will be dressed in all their finery
- May Pole Dancing (weather dependant)
- Services of a Spice host.
Extras
- An optional extra of Afternoon Tea at Harvington Hall to indulge and catch up after the visit.
About the Venue: Harvington Hall is a moated medieval and Elizabethan manor-house south-east of Kidderminster. Many of the rooms still have their original Elizabethan wall-paintings and the Hall contains the finest series of priest hides anywhere in the country. During the 19th Century it was stripped of furniture and panelling and the shell was left almost derelict. But in 1923 it was bought for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, which restored it and now opens it to the public.
The Elizabethan House was built in the 1580s by Humphrey Pakington. On his death it was inherited by his daughter Mary, Lady Yate. In 1644 it was pillaged by Roundhead troops. Family letters refer to politics, London fashions and medical treatment, as well as business matters. In 1696 the Hall passed to the Throckmortons of Coughton Court in Warwickshire, who owned it until 1923.
The Malt House Visitor Centre offers a series of family activities and historic games, as well as an introductory film about the Hall and an insight into the processes of malting and brewing. Also on the artificial moated island, the Georgian Chapel is a peaceful space. Damaged by fire in 1823, after repairs it became the village school until 1913. It was restored and reopened for worship in the 1980s, and is still used for Mass today.
Location & Itinerary
If anyone would like to extend the day and join us for afternoon tea at the Malt House coffee shop, please follow this link to book: Bank Holiday Afternoon Tea at Harvington Hall
Although not a Spice exclusive, our host will be there to ensure that we all tour the house together as a group.
The event is on a free flow basis and not a guided tour, but there will be plenty of costumed guides roaming the house, to give us information and answer any questions.
Harvington Hall is situated three miles south-east of Kidderminster, about half a mile east of the A450 Birmingham to Worcester road and about half-a-mile north of the A448 from Kidderminster to Bromsgrove.
Free parking is available.
| Type | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Member Place | £18.50 | Available |
| Guest Place | £20.00 | Available |
Not enough spaces left for you? Join the waitlist
Host & Everything Else
Feedback from a recent different event at Harvington Hall - The Elizabethan Christmas
- I absolutely loved the Elizabeth Christmas re-enactment at Harvington Hall! I travelled up from Surrey to attend and it didn't disappoint. The house itself is facinating, very atmospheric, and having the costumed characters in every room really added to the experience. Very informative, and not too crowded, so there was time to linger in every room and interact with the ' Elizabethans'. Excellent value for money. The Spice host, Lyn, took time to introduce everyone and look out for us. There was a bit of confusion about our booking, meaning we were delayed entering the house, but everything else was brilliant! I also did afternoon tea, which was pleasant and fairly priced.
- The reinactors were very good, they chatted to us and explained what the day was about and the characters they were playing. The house was decorated beautifully... Harvington Hall is an amazing place and it would be great if there were more events on Spice for there 😃
- Really nice tour, very interesting and lovely afternoon tea. The stewards and re-enactors had lots of interesting information so it would have been nice to spend more time, an hour (approx) didn’t feel long enough.
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