WESTWOOD PARK
Westwude (xi.cent.).
The present parish of Westwood Park was originally
included in Dodderhill, but became a separate extraparochial district in 1178. (fn. 1) Habington says, 'Westwood in the territoryes of the Sayes, Barons of
Bureford and Lordes of Wichbaud, was by their
indulgence made a parish of it sealfe, including Westwood, Cruche, and Clerehall.' (fn. 2) For ecclesiastical
purposes it was annexed to Hampton Lovett in 1541, (fn. 3)
but it remained extra-parochial (fn. 4) until 1857, (fn. 5) when it
became a parish.
It is situated immediately south of Hampton Lovett
and covers an area of only 740 acres. The ground
is undulating, but nowhere rises higher than about
185 ft. above the ordnance datum. The soil is marl,
with patches of sandy gravel, the land being mostly
pasture and park land. The house in the middle of
the park, now the residence of Mrs. Bruce Ward, the
daughter of the present owner, is on one of the highest
points, and commands extensive and beautiful views
of the surrounding country. The nucleus of the
present mansion was erected early in the reign of
Queen Elizabeth by Sir John Pakington (the Lusty
Pakington), and seems to have been merely intended
as a hunting-box. That this was, however, a building of considerable pretensions is apparent from the
size and elaborate nature of the plan, which consists
on the ground floor of a large entrance hall occupying the whole length of the principal front, with bay
windows on either side of a central entrance doorway
and in each end wall, and a similar block at the rear
containing the kitchen and offices, separated from the
front portion of the house by a narrow staircase hall
in the centre of the building. The front block is of
three stories with an attic floor, the kitchen block of
four stories without an attic. There is a basement
beneath the whole house. On the first floor is the
saloon, an apartment of equal size with the entrance
hall below it, measuring internally 46 ft. 6 in. by
22 ft. The bay windows throughout extend the
whole height of the house. The materials are red
brick with dressings of red sandstone. The house
having suffered considerably during the Civil War,
considerable alterations and repairs were undertaken
about the time of the Restoration, with the double
object of repairing the fabric and transforming it into
the principal seat of the family, whose former house at
Hampton Lovett had been destroyed by fire. Wings
designed in a style to correspond with the existing
house were added at each of the four corners of the
building, projecting from the central mass at about
the angle of 45°, and two diamond-shaped courts
were formed at the front and back. At the northeast and south-west angles of the courts were square
tower-like garden houses three stories high. The
forecourt, with its garden towers and gate lodges, has
survived in its entirety, but the court at the rear has
disappeared. An engraving by Kip shows that the
original arrangement of the courts was still preserved
in the early years of the 18th century, about which
period considerable internal repairs appear to have
been entered upon. About 1840 a new kitchen was
added at the rear of the house, contained in a onestory building occupying the portion of the court
embraced by the wings on this side. The original
panelling of the ground floor rooms was then replaced
by painted deal 'Tudor' panelling of a singularly
inappropriate type, and a plaster ceiling designed in
the same style and grained in imitation of oak was
substituted for the original ceiling of the staircase
hall. A 'Tudor' bay window of stone was added
to the room on the ground floor of the north wing,
known as the 'chapel,' to bring it more into accordance with the notions of ecclesiastical propriety then
prevalent. This room is now used as a servants'
hall. These alterations were made under the direction of P. Hardwick, whose drawings are in the
possession of the present owner.
From this it will be gathered that the ground
floor rooms contain no features of particular interest,
having been almost entirely modernized. The floors
of the wings are at a higher level than those of the
main building and are approached by short flights
of steps. The kitchen, at the west of the central
block, has been converted into a dining room, and
the floor level of the 'chapel' has been re-arranged.
The staircase-hall in the centre extends the whole
length of the house at the first floor level, and the
stairs rise to this height in successive flights of eight
risers separated by landings of equal length. The
handrails are supported by turned balusters, and the
massive newel posts are surmounted by Corinthian
columns with ball finials. The upper floors are
reached by subsidiary stairs in the four-storied back
portion of the house. Over the main stairs, at the
level of the second floor of the front portion, is a
long gallery, known as the 'Museum' gallery, with
open wells at either end, railed with balustrading of
a similar but slightly plainer design. The ceiling of
the staircase formed by the floor of the latter, and the
ceiling above, visible from below at either end, are of
plaster, grained in imitation of oak, and date from the
19th-century restorations above referred to. Large
four-light windows at the first and second floor levels
light the staircase at either end. The square projecting
bay at the north-east of the ground story appears
to be an addition of the latter half of the 17th
century.
Plan of Westwood Park
In the centre of the north-west wall of the saloon
is an elaborate chimney-piece of carved oak, probably
contemporary in date with the original building of
this part of the house. It is of two superimposed
orders, the lower Ionic and the upper Corinthian.
The frieze of the entablature of the lower order, which
spans the fireplace opening, is carved with a vine
pattern in delicate relief, the shafts of the supporting
columns being ornamented with elaborate strapwork. The upper order has the frieze of its entablature decorated with grotesques and festoons and
the shafts of its columns carved with the vine. The
central panel, over the fireplace opening, has an
enriched bolection moulding of bold section, and
is filled by a modern portrait of Henry VIII;
between the coupled columns on either side are
semicircular-headed niches, fluted and elaborated
with strapwork. The surfaces behind the columns
and on the returns of the chimney breasts are ornamented with a design of oak leaves and acorns in
shallow relief. The fireplace opening itself has a
grate and marble surround of the 18th century. A
deep strapwork frieze of plaster runs round the walls
of the room. This appears to be contemporary with
the chimney-piece, the comparative coarseness of
execution being due to the difference of material.
Above this is the cove of the magnificent plaster
ceiling, which seems to have been executed at the
time the wings were added, or perhaps a few years
earlier. In the centre is an oval wreath within a
rectangular panel with curved ends. The soffit of
the large and heavily moulded rib inclosing the panel
is enriched with a garland of deeply undercut foliage,
and the whole is inclosed by a modelled band of
pointed leaves in high relief extending the length of
the chimney breast. The remainder of the ceiling,
and of those of the bay windows, is made out with
wreaths and panels of slighter projection. The cove
is ornamented with festoons of fruit and flowers.
The walls still retain their original tapestry hangings,
illustrating the life of Jacob. In the panelled jambs
of the bays are fluted Corinthian pilasters. The
tapestry hangings conceal the doorways at the south
and east angles of the saloon leading to the rooms in
the wings on this side of the house. Their addition
has necessitated the blocking of the returns of the
bays adjoining them.
The 'Japanese' room in the south wing has a
ceiling of very similar type and of the same date as
that of the saloon with a good modillion cornice.
The room was re-decorated in the middle of the
18th century and remains to this day practically
unaltered with its Oriental paper, marble bolection
moulded chimney-piece, and elaborately enriched
doorcase. The bay in the end wall is blocked. The
room in the east wing, known as the 'White' room,
has a ceiling of the same type, and white painted
panelling of the 18th century, with a fine carved
wood chimney-piece of contemporary date.
The less important rooms contain little of particular interest, though much good 18th-century work
remains.
Externally the house presents a particularly imposing appearance with its four wings radiating from
the central mass, and terminated at their extremities
by tower-like projections having stone-mullioned bay
windows in their side and end walls, and pyramidal
slated roofs. In the first instance it is probable that
these roofs were of a fanciful curved outline like
those of the still remaining garden towers. Between
the two stone-mullioned bay windows of the central
block, which extend the whole height of the three
principal stories, is the entrance porch, a charming
piece of almost fully developed classical design,
after the type of a triumphal arch in miniature,
with a central and two side archways. An entablature, broken forward over four detached Corinthian
columns and surmounted by a plain attic order,
crowns the whole. The columns stand upon pedestals
sculptured with lions' faces, and in each side opening
are balustrades. Above the keystone of the
central arch is a carved female figure riding upon
an eagle with outstretched wings. The inner doorway is flanked by coupled Corinthian pilasters
enriched with strapwork. The porch is elevated on
a flight of steps. Over the porch, on the face of
the blank wall of the first story between the bays,
is the large shield of Pakington quartering Washbourne, Baldwin and Arden, with the crest of an
elephant. The floor levels are marked by moulded
string-courses of stone, which on the walls of the
wings are raised and dropped to correspond with
the difference in level of the floors. The bay windows
and the wing towers are finished with an elaborate
carved parapet formed of the sheaves and molets of
the Pakington shield. The attic windows of the
central block are surmounted by curvilinear gables,
crowned at the apex by circular panels, each inclosing
a molet. Square bays forming the extremities of the
staircase hall compose the central features of the side
elevations. The angles of the bay on the north-east
have buttresses extending to the first floor level. The
ground story of this bay, as mentioned above, is further
extended by a square projection containing a threelight transomed window with rusticated jambs and
head, dating probably from the latter half of the
17th century. The bay windows of the wings have
had their return lights blocked, probably in the
18th century, with the view of avoiding the window
tax, and have been otherwise much altered in the
19th century, the sills having being lowered and extra
mullions inserted; a drawing made about the year
1830 shows them to have been originally of two
lights. The disposition of the plan renders all the
elevations of equal size and importance, and was
doubtless suggested by the site, which is on the
summit of almost the highest ground in the whole
extent of the park.
The twin-lodges on either side of the entrance
gates are of brick with stone dressings, two stories in
height, and have mullioned windows and curvilinear
gables. They are joined by a semicircular archway
containing the gates and surmounted by open stone
screenwork filled with sheaves and molets. Above
this an ornamental arched framing of timber supports
a slated cupola. The garden towers at the northeast and south-west angles of the forecourt are of
brick, three stories in height, with cornices of stone
and curved slated roofs.
Mr. Edward Partington, J.P., is the present owner,
having purchased it from the Pakingtons in 1900.
The exact site of the nunnery is unknown, but is
supposed to be in the present kitchen garden. (fn. 6) A
stone coffin has been found in Nunnery Wood, and
there is a stone-lined well in a pool close by.
There are at present no roads in the parish, but
a bridle-path from Hampton Lovett goes through
the park. The main road from Ombersley to Droitwich passes along the southern boundary of the park.
This road seems to have been made by Sir John
Pakington before 1616, and was at that date the
subject of some dispute between him and Sir Samuel
Sandys, lord of Ombersley. It seems that there were
formerly two roads through Westwood, one entering
it at a bridge called Wadebridge, over Hadley Brook,
and passing from there by Wadebridge Lane, Westwood Coppice and a field called Boycott to two bridges
over a divided stream called 'Bryarmill' bridges, and
from there to Droitwich, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster
and Bewdley, the other from Ludlow, Bewdley and
Ombersley, crossing Hadley Brook by a 'waynebridge
made of stone' above Hadley Mill, passing the site
of the nunnery and through woods called Westwood
to Boycott Bridge, and so on to Droitwich and
London. Sir John had inclosed these roads in his
park, and 'drowned' a great part of one of them in
'a new great pool' there, but had made instead the
present road, which is said to have been 'very narrow
and very fowle in winter and a worse way and further
about than the others.' (fn. 7) As a result Sir John is said
to have had the embankments of his new lake cut
through. The present park contains a lake of 60
acres.
During the Civil War and Commonwealth many
eminent men visited Sir John Pakington at Westwood Park. Doctor Hammond, Bishop-designate of
Worcester, spent the last years of his life there, and
died there in 1660. (fn. 8) Bishops Morley, Fell and
Gunning and Dean Hickes often visited at Westwood, and jointly with some of them Lady Dorothy
Pakington is alleged to have written The Whole Duty
of Man. (fn. 9)
Among the place-names are Ulnys Medowe,
Byrcheyll, Boycote Felde, Ogans Medowe, Horsesiche, Banhamyshyll, Wynowynge Hylle, Dappyngs
Medowe, Parsons Hill, Bryerhylle, (fn. 10) Le Pykes (fn. 11)
(xvi cent.), Boycott (fn. 12) (xvii cent.), Cobbett's Corner,
Nuns Harbour (xx cent.).
MANOR
WESTWOOD is not mentioned in the
Domesday Survey, being then probably
included in the parish of Dodderhill, (fn. 13)
but by the 12th century it was in the hands of
Osbert Fitz Hugh, who with Eustacia de Say, his
mother, granted it to the nunnery they founded there
in the reign of Henry II. (fn. 14) This gift was confirmed
by John, and subsequently by later kings. (fn. 15) After
the Dissolution Sir John Pakington of Hampton
Lovett petitioned that he might have the site of the
nunnery in farm, 'since it was close to his house
where he had no pasture for his horses although he
was in the king's service in North Wales to his great
charge.' (fn. 16) The manor with the site and demesne
lands of the late nunnery was granted to him in 1539,
and has since that date followed the same descent as
Hampton Lovett (fn. 17) (q.v.).
The nuns of Westwood received a licence to make
a PARK at Westwood, if they so chose, when the
manor was granted to them, (fn. 18) but they do not seem
ever to have done so. In 1618 Sir John Pakington
obtained licence to impark 1,000 acres at Westwood,
Hampton Lovett and other surrounding parishes, (fn. 19)
and he impaled two great parks called Westwood Parks
and stocked the one with red deer and the other with
fallow deer. In doing this he met with some
opposition from the burgesses of Droitwich, on
account of rights of way which they had enjoyed over
the manor of Westwood. (fn. 20)
The park was originally planted with oak woods
radiating from the house. The oak is very rapidly
growing but lacks durability, and this is so well
known that it used to be specified in local building
contracts that Westwood oak was not to be used.
Since the present owner purchased the estate the
park has gradually been reduced in area to 350
acres. (fn. 21)
A fee-farm rent of £5 16s., which must have been
reserved when the manor was granted to Sir John
Pakington, was vested in trustees for sale in 1670. (fn. 22)
It was afterwards purchased by the Pakingtons.
A mill called Bierhalla in Westwood belonged to
the nuns of Westwood in 1299, (fn. 23) and Henry Lovett
by an undated charter remitted to them the foreign
service which they owed him for it. (fn. 24) This mill, then
called Bryer Mill, was valued at 48s. in 1535, when it
still belonged to the nuns. (fn. 25) It was granted with the
manor to Sir John Pakington in 1539. (fn. 26) The present
Brier Mill is in the parish of Droitwich.
CHURCH AND ADVOWSON
The date of the building of a
church at Westwood is not known.
In 1178 the tithes of Westwood,
with sepulture and obventions of all
the inhabitants, were assigned to the
nuns of Westwood in exchange for their claim to
the church of St. Augustine Dodderhill, (fn. 27) these
tithes having formerly belonged to the church of
Dodderhill. The conventual church or chapel of
Westwood was valued at £2 in 1291. (fn. 28) The rectorial
tithes were appropriated to the nunnery, (fn. 29) and the
chaplain was provided at the expense of the nuns. (fn. 30)
The chapel served as a parish church for the
inhabitants of Crutch as well as those of Westwood,
and had full parochial rights. (fn. 31) On the dissolution
of Westwood nunnery the chapel was also suppressed,
and the inhabitants of Westwood were left without
any parish church. They petitioned the bishop that,
as the tithes of Westwood were insufficient to support
a priest, their hamlet might be annexed to the church
of Hampton Lovett, which was conveniently near and
accessible to them at any time of the year. Their
petition was granted and the union was legalized in
1541. (fn. 32) The rectory and advowson had been granted
in 1539 to John Pakington, (fn. 33) and his sanction was
obtained to the union. The advowson and rectory
of Westwood are mentioned in a deed of 1542, (fn. 34) but
after that time all references to a church at Westwood
cease, it having probably shared the fate of the conventual buildings. All remains of the church have
disappeared.
There are no endowed charities.