- Boscobel House
Boscobel House (gbmapping|SJ837082), on the
Shropshire /Staffordshire border, nearWolverhampton and Albrighton,England , was built around1632 , when landownerJohn Gifford ofWhite Ladies Priory converted a timber-framed farmhouse into a hunting lodg. Boscobel House became one of the most evocative sites in the English historical imagination. It was at this property that Charles II famously hid in a tree to escape discovery byParliamentary soldiers after the Battle of Worcester. See also the article onEscape of Charles II . It is aGrade II* listed building and has several other listed features. It is under the care ofEnglish Heritage .History
Gifford called the new hunting lodge Boscobel House which is believed to come from the Italian phrase "bosco bella" meaning "in the midst of fair woods". In 1632, Boscobel House was surrounded by dense woodlands.
The Royal Oak
The Gifford family were
Catholics and, at that time, the Catholic religion was viewed with great suspicion. The house itself served as a secret place for the shelter of Catholic priests with numerous priest-holes and hiding places dotted around the premises. This secret purpose of the house was to play a key part in the history of the country.Near the end of the
English Civil War , after theBattle of Worcester , Charles II fled for his life, seeking refuge at Boscobel House. He hid in a nearby oak tree from where he could see the patrols searching for him. The tree famously became known asThe Royal Oak .External links
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/360/boscobelhouse/index.shtml BBC on Boscobel House]
* [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/filestore/visitsevents/asp/visits/Details.asp?Property_Id=335 English Heritage entry: Boscobel House]
* [http://www.roland-collection.com/rolandcollection/section/9/312.htm Roland Film's Documentary on the Restoration of Boscobel House]
* [http://louisabrown.net/Boscobel.htm Postcard images from a personal site]
*IoE|416527|Boscobel House - Grade II*
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