Holbeche House facts for kids
| Holbeche House | |
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Quick facts for kids 
Holbeche House in 2007 is a care home
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Kingswinford near Dudley (formerly in Staffordshire) |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 52°30′44″N 2°10′17″W / 52.5122°N 2.1713°W |
Holbeche House is a large, old house (a mansion) found about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) north of Kingswinford. This area is now part of Dudley, but it used to be in Staffordshire, England. Holbeche House is famous because of an important event in English history: the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Some of the people involved in this plot were caught or killed here.
Contents
What Was the Gunpowder Plot?
| Action at Holbeche House | |||||||
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| Part of Gunpowder Plot | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Gunpowder plotters | Government posse | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Robert Catesby † | Richard Walsh | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 11 men | 200 soldiers and militia | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4 killed 7 wounded and captured (later executed) |
None known | ||||||
The Gunpowder Plot was a secret plan by a small group of English Catholics. They wanted to blow up the House of Lords in London. This was planned for the day the King, King James I, would open Parliament. Their goal was to kill the King and his government. After that, they hoped to start a rebellion and bring back a Catholic king to England.
How Did the Plotters End Up at Holbeche House?
The Gunpowder Plot failed. The King's guards found the gunpowder hidden under the Parliament building. The plotters had to run away. They took shelter at Holbeche House, which belonged to Stephen Lyttelton.
On November 6, they took supplies from Warwick Castle. The next day, November 7, they took weapons and gunpowder from Hewell Grange. But the gunpowder got wet in the rain.
The Accident at Holbeche House
The plotters arrived at Holbeche House around 10 at night. They tried to dry the wet gunpowder in front of a fire. A spark flew out and set the gunpowder on fire! Several plotters were badly hurt in this accident.
The Fight at Holbeche House
The next day, November 8, 1605, the house was surrounded. A group of armed men, led by Richard Walsh, the Sheriff of Worcestershire, arrived. They were looking for the people who had raided Warwick Castle.
A fight broke out. Most of the plotters were either killed or wounded. Some of the old walls of the house still have holes from the muskets used in this battle. The plotters who were still alive were captured. They were taken to London, put on trial, and later executed.
About Holbeche House Itself
Holbeche House was built around the year 1600. The original house had a main part with three sections and two floors. It also had an attic with special windows called dormer windows. On each side, there were parts that stuck out with unique "Dutch gable" roofs.
Inside, some of the original wooden wall panels are still there. In the early 1800s, new fronts were added to the house. Later, the house was made even bigger.
In 1951, Holbeche House was given a special status as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is an important historical building that needs to be protected. Today, Holbeche House is a private nursing home.
Images for kids
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Holbeche House in 2007 is a care home
