Coughton Court Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Coughton Court
Coughton Court
General information
Type	Stately home
Location	Warwickshire
Coordinates	52°14′37″N 1°52′48″W / 52.2435°N 1.880°W / 52.2435; -1.880
Completed	Built c.16th century
Owner	in the care of the National Trust

Coughton Court is a beautiful old English country house in Warwickshire. It is a very important historic building, known as a Grade I listed building. You can find it on the main road between the towns of Studley and Alcester.

The house has a long front wall with special castle-like tops called battlements. Right in the middle is the old Tudor Gatehouse. This part was built after 1536. It has cool hexagonal towers and special bay windows that stick out. The Gatehouse is the oldest part of Coughton Court. Newer parts of the house are on either side of it.

History of Coughton Court
Architecture of Coughton Court
- Building the Gatehouse
- Changes Over Time
Gallery
See also

History of Coughton Court

The Throckmorton Family Home

The Throckmorton family has owned the Coughton estate since 1409. They got the land when a family member married into the De Spinney family.

Sir George Throckmorton started rebuilding Coughton Court. He was a favorite of King Henry VIII. Sir George spent most of his life making Coughton into the grand house we see today. He even dedicated the big gatehouse to King Henry VIII.

Challenges and Changes

Sir George Throckmorton was known for his strong beliefs. He disagreed with King Henry VIII's divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. He also did not support the big changes happening in the church at that time, known as the Reformation.

After Sir George died in 1552, his oldest son, Robert, took over Coughton. The Throckmorton family were Catholics. During this time, Catholics faced difficulties in England, especially after Queen Elizabeth I of England became queen.

Secret Hiding Places

Because of these challenges, Coughton Court had a secret hiding place called a "priest hole." These were hidden rooms where Catholic priests could hide if they were in danger. It's thought that a famous builder of these hiding places, Nicholas Owen, might have built the one at Coughton.

Coughton Court also played a small part in some famous events in English history. It was linked to the Throckmorton Plot in 1583, which was a plan against Queen Elizabeth. Later, in 1605, some people involved in the Gunpowder Plot rode to Coughton Court after their plan was discovered. The Throckmorton family themselves were not directly involved in the Gunpowder Plot.

National Trust Ownership

Today, Coughton Court is looked after by the National Trust. They have owned the house since 1946. However, the Throckmorton family still lives there and helps manage the property.

The house is not open to visitors all year. For example, it closes in winter. So, it's a good idea to check their website for opening times before you visit. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens, a river, and a lake.

Architecture of Coughton Court

Building the Gatehouse

The gatehouse at Coughton was built starting in 1536. The stones used to build it came from old religious buildings like Bordesley Abbey and Evesham Abbey. These abbeys were closed down around that time.

Like many Tudor houses, Coughton Court was built around a central courtyard. The gatehouse was used for deliveries and for coaches to drive through into this courtyard.

Changes Over Time

The courtyard used to be fully enclosed on all four sides. But in 1651, during the English Civil War, soldiers burned down one of the wings (the east wing). Many of the Throckmorton family's important papers were also lost then.

Later, in 1829, a law called the Roman Catholic Relief Act was passed. This law made things easier for Catholics. Because of this, the Throckmorton family could afford to do a lot of building work. They were able to update and remodel the front of the house.