Later on the 18th we drove on to the Baddesley Clinton House, near Warwick. It's probably my political/religious sympathies that are in the way, but I found this nearly the least interesting place we have been in the UK. Baddesley Clinton is noteworthy for its Elizabethan "priest-holes"--hidden chambers where counter-reformation (and counter-Elizabeth) priests could be hidden. At Baddesley, there were several. It was an industry, somewhat reminiscent of the "underground railroad" in the US, with architects and builders of these priest-holes as well as "pursuivants," bounty-hunters, more or less, in the employ of the Queen and her ministers, chiefly Cecil, I believe. A film we have watched, just to get in the mood, that well depicts the horrors and brutalities of the Wars of Religion is
Elizabeth, with Cate Blanchett. Its treatment of the Elizabeth/Robert Dudley matter is pretty far off, we think, but its general representation of the times is accurate, if graphic. The religious wars lasted well into the next century and resulted in, among other things, the separation of church and state that we Americans enjoy, mostly in unfortunate ignorance.
Baddesley Clinton is noted also, if not noteworthy, for a Victorian pair of couples who resided there and fixed the place up, painters, poets, and philosophers who are now deservedly forgotten. Except for the house.
On the up-side, we camped that night at a real campground, one of the more interesting ones, at the Warwick Racecourse (horses), right in the paddock. While Vicki did the wash, I strolled about the town on a nearly-deserted Sunday afternoon. We had decided to forego the Warwick Castle "Experience," which we had done in 1989 with our daughters. Alas, poor Warwick!
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Baddesley Clinton House
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One of the priest-holes
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Garden, grounds
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Stained glass windows all around the house, mostly
celebrating the various coats of arms associated
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A day at the races...
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