IN June, Julian Foord, curator of Harvington Hall, spoke about the Hall, which is situated near Kidderminster in Worcestershire.

The first Harvington was a 13th century hall built on a man-made island within a series of ponds, which fed into a moat.

It was constructed of wattle and daub in a 'H' plan.

In 1580, it was transformed into a Tudor brick house by Humphrey Packington of Chaddesley Corbett.

He was a Roman Catholic who refused to give up his faith so he paid many fines as a recusant, i.e. one who refused to attend Anglican services.

When the house was altered he employed Nicholas Owen, a well-known constructor of priest holes; to construct hides in the house, under the stairs, in a dummy fireplace and under a swinging beam.

There were two chapels right at the top of the towers where a good lookout for searchers could be kept.

The searchers were ruthless, employing dogs, tapping on panelling, then going away only to creep back when the hiders thought the coast was clear.

Humphrey's daughter sheltered priests during the Civil War and during the reign of Charles II.

The house then passed to Mary, who inherited debts.

The tax on hearths (there were 24 at Harvington) was too much so she demolished the great hall and the family bedrooms where there were no hides.

Mary married a Throckmorton of Coughton, John Throckmorton, and then Charles Courtenay Throckmorton lived in the hall into the early 19th century but it was now degenerating into a farmhouse.

The Throckmortons removed anything of value around the beginning of the 20th century.

The great staircase and some of the panelling was taken to Coughton Court where it may be seen today.

The hall was left to decay gently into an enchanted island but then the roof started to crumble and decay and the hall was auctioned as a near ruin.

It was bought by Ellen Ryan Ferris who paid £3,000 for it. She gave it to the Roman Catholic diocese of Birmingham. There is no endowment but the hall is being restored. Elizabethan wall paintings help to show how the house looked long ago.

Harvington Hall is open to the public. Schools use it for project work and a Civil War enactment takes place. Guidebooks and a history are for sale - all this helps to raise much-needed funds.

The next meeting is on July 17 at 7.30pm when Dixie Atkins will talk about Witchcraft.

Meetings are held in the restaurant at Coughton Court and new members are always welcome.