HUDDINGTON
Hudintuna, Huntintune, Hudintune, Hudigtun
(xi cent.); Hodintone (xiii cent.); Hodyngton (xiv
cent.).
The parish of Huddington lies near the centre of
the country to the south-east of the town of Droitwich.
The area of the parish is 981 acres, (fn. 1) of which 166 are
arable, 637 permanent grass and 111 woods. (fn. 2) Bow
Brook and Little Brook, (fn. 3) one of its tributaries, form
the north-eastern boundary of the parish.
The chief road in the parish is Trench Lane,
which runs from Huddington village north-west to
Droitwich, being intersected at Shaftland Cross, to
the north-west of the village, by a road running
south-west to Worcester.
The village of Huddington lies in the valley of
Bow Brook and the whole parish is low-lying, the
highest part being in the north-west, where the land
rises to 200 ft. above the ordnance datum. The
parish is on the Lower Lias, the soil being stiff clay and
limestone. The land is chiefly pasture.
The village is situated on either side of the road to
Droitwich. It contains Huddington Court, the
church of St. James, Hall Farm, a corn-mill (fn. 4) and a
few cottages. The church stands a little back from
the south side of the road in a small inclosed churchyard. The village itself forms a small street of a few
cottages running northwards from the church, and
includes some good specimens of half-timber work,
but the chief architectural feature is Huddington
Court, now a farm-house, which, surrounded by a
moat, stands immediately to the west of the church.
It is a small late 15th-century house of half-timber,
two stories in height, with an attic floor in the roof.
The plan is T-shaped, the tail of the T appearing
to be a later addition, probably of the early 17th
century. The original part consists of a large hall,
with an entrance in the centre, and two rooms on
either side, the kitchen on the west, and a parlour
on the east, both now cut up by modern partitions.
This appears to be itself a rebuilding of an earlier
house, to judge by the series of shields reset over
the fireplace of the room above the parlour. The
hall is now mainly occupied by a late 16th-century
staircase, to which date the present entrance doorway
and porch belong. The latter is gabled and of halftimber on a brick base, with small attached Ionic
columns of wood and well-carved capitals. An
original oaken gate with turned balusters is still in
position. The stairs, also of oak, are wide, and
have an easy ascent. The first floor is supported by
richly moulded 15th-century beams, one of which
has been moved out of its original position to make
room for the later stairs and chamfered away on one
side to give the utmost amount of head-room. The
room on the east side of the first-floor landing has
been divided into two by a modern partition which
cuts into a large open fireplace with moulded jambs
and head. Above this is reset the older work before
mentioned. This consists of a 14th-century frieze
with four quatrefoiled panels, each containing a shield
hanging from a head: (1) Hodington; (2) a cheveron
between three roses; (3) England; (4) Cromelyn.
The quatrefoils themselves are enriched with the ballflower, and in their foliations on either side of the
shields, as well as in the spandrels, are large ballflowers. On the west side of the landing was a
room of smaller dimensions; both these rooms were
originally lighted by bay windows on the ncrth side,
only that to the eastern room now remaining; it is of
five transomed lights, with a narrower light in each
return. The projecting sill rests on richly carved
brackets with a plastered soffit following their
curve. The main uprights of the house divide the
ceilings of these rooms into three and two bays
respectively. The ceiling beams are slightly cambered to a central ridge rib, and each bay on either
slope is subdivided into four panels by subsidiary
ribs. All the timbers are moulded, and have masons'
mitres at their intersections. The chimney stack at
the south-east is a beautiful example of late 15th-century brickwork. The lower portion is of stone
ashlar, with a bold base-mould. At about the level
of the first floor is a weathered offset, and above the
gutter level rise the brick octagonal bases of the twin
shafts, each face of the octagon panelled with a
trefoiled panel. The shafts themselves are circular
and elaborately moulded, but their cappings again
become octagonal with concave sides. The main
portion of the house is roofed by a tiled ridge-roof,
gabled at either end. The windows, with the exception of the bay window above described, are
mostly 17th-century insertions, the positions of the
former windows having been altered in many cases.
A moat filled with water surrounds the house.
A survey (fn. 5) of the manor made in 1650 shows that
the court-house then possessed ten rooms below
stairs and twelve above. There were two barns,
two stables and a pigeon-house. The house was
surrounded by an orchard, a green court and a small
hopyard, a close called Parke Close on the south, and a
croft called the Oat Crofte on the west and Piggs Close
on the east. The house was at that time much out of
repair. The avenue of trees by which the house is
approached is known as Lady Winter's Walk. According to the local legend one of the Winters at the
time of the Gunpowder Plot, not daring to appear
by day, used to meet his wife here at night, and
Robert Winter, who was executed in 1606, still walks
with his head in his hand.
The hamlet of Sale Green, consisting of a farm
and a few cottages, is 1 mile to the north-west of the
village of Huddington and lies partly in Crowle and
Oddingley.
A skeleton, buried about 3 ft. beneath the surface,
was found in January 1903 in the churchyard, with
the remains of a purse on the thigh bone, which was
broken. Thirty-two coins were found, thirty Scotch
bodles of Charles I, a Scotch turner of James I and a
double turnois of Louis XIII dated 1637.
Place-names which occur at Huddington in the
17th century are Parke Close, Great Charsleyes,
Shatherlong Field, Dry Slowes, Mawbridge or Maybridge Close, Windmill Field. (fn. 6)
MANOR
A reference to HUDDINGTON
(fn. 7)
occurs amongst the boundaries given in a
charter relating to Crowle, (fn. 8) which seems
to date from the 11th century. (fn. 9) In 1086 Alric the
archdeacon held a hide of land at Huddington, which
had formerly been held by Wulfric, as a villein, of
the Bishop of Worcester's manor of Northwick. (fn. 10) The
overlordship of the Bishop of Worcester was recognized until the 17th century. (fn. 11)
In the reign of Henry II this hide at Huddington
was held by Alan de Warnestre. (fn. 12) It must have
passed before the end of that reign to Simon son
of Adam de Croome, for Simon was holding a hide
at Huddington without doing service for it, and this
land he said he held of Roger de St. John, who held
it of the bishop. (fn. 13) Richard de Hodington was in
possession of the estate in 1299, (fn. 14) and is probably
to be identified with Richard de Cromelyn, who was
holding the vill of Huddington in the previous year, (fn. 15)
and paid a subsidy there in 1327. (fn. 16) He must have
been succeeded shortly afterwards by John de Hodington, who paid subsidy in Huddington in 1332–3. (fn. 17)
Walter de Hodington, who was a witness to a deed
of 1339–40, was probably son of this John. (fn. 18) In
1390–1 the manor was settled on Walter's son
Thomas and his wife Joan daughter of Richard
Thurgrim and their issue, with contingent remainders
to Thomas son of Alexander de Besford and Thomas
son of John Moraunt, sons of Margaret sister of
Thomas Hodington. (fn. 19) Thomas Hodington left two
daughters, Agnes wife of William Russell and Joan
wife of Roger Winter. (fn. 20) Nicholas Stokes and Robert
Russell, probably the son of William and Agnes, were
said to be holding the manor of Huddington in
1431. (fn. 21) The Russells received as their share a
rent of 22s. (fn. 22) from the manor, while the manor itself
passed to the Winters. Robert Winter was apparently in possession in 1487–8, as he then claimed
certain fishing rights at Huddington. (fn. 23) Roger Winter,
son of this Robert, (fn. 24) died in 1535 holding the manor
of Huddington, which then passed to his son Robert. (fn. 25)
Robert was succeeded in 1549 by his son George
Winter. (fn. 26) Robert had settled the manor in 1542 upon
his wife Catherine, (fn. 27) who afterwards married Thomas
Smith and held some estate in the manor in 1567. (fn. 28)
Hodington. Gules a saltire argent and a border azure bezanty.
Russell. Argent a cheveron between three crosslets fitchy sable.
Winter. Sable a fesse ermine.
George died in 1594, being followed by Robert
Winter, his eldest son by his first wife, Jane daughter
of Sir William Ingleby. (fn. 29) This Robert Winter and
his brother Thomas were deeply implicated in the
Gunpowder Plot. When they were fully satisfied
that the plot was discovered the conspirators fled to
Huddington, where they stayed on 6 November
1605. Thomas Winter was captured on the following day at Holbeach, and taken to the Tower on
8 November, but Robert, less resolute than his
younger brother, escaped from Holbeach before the
encounter with the sheriff's men, (fn. 30) and in company
with Stephen Lyttelton hid for two months in barns
and poor men's houses in Worcestershire. (fn. 31) He was
finally captured at Hagley, at the house of Mrs. Lyttelton, through the treachery of John Finwood, one of
her servants. (fn. 32) He was attainted of high treason,
and executed on 30 January 1606, the day before
his brother. (fn. 33) His estates were restored in the same
year (fn. 34) to his widow, Gertrude Winter, who seems to
have forfeited the manor in 1607 for recusancy. (fn. 35)
Her son John Winter, however, died seised of the
manor in 1622, (fn. 36) being followed by his sons John,
Robert and George successively. (fn. 37) George Winter
was created a baronet 29 April 1642, (fn. 38) took the side
of the king in the Civil war, (fn. 39) and died without issue
on 4 June 1658, when the baronetcy became extinct. (fn. 40)
Sir George Winter, by his will dated 13 March
1657, left the manor of Huddington to his wife
Mary and his aunt Helen for
their lives, with remainder to
Francis Earl of Shrewsbury,
his first wife's brother, and to
Gilbert Talbot, brother of
Francis, in tail-male, with
contingent remainder to the
English Fathers of the Society
of Jesus. (fn. 41) Helen Winter and
Francis Earl of Shrewsbury
and his brother Gilbert were
dealing with the manor in
1660. (fn. 42) The issue male of
Francis Earl of Shrewsbury
failed on the death of his son
Charles in 1717–18, (fn. 43) and Gilbert Talbot, son of
Gilbert above mentioned, succeeded to the title and
estates. (fn. 44) The manor has since descended with the
title, and now belongs to Charles Henry John
Chetwynd-Talbot, twentieth Earl of Shrewsbury.
Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury. Gules a lion and a border engrailed or.
In 1232 the king confirmed to the hospital of
St. Wulfstan, Worcester, a grant of land made to
them by Roger the clerk of Huddington. The land
lay in Ryecroft, Heringshame, Derhamme, Pichethorn, Frewinspit and Hemmingesik, (fn. 45) and, though the
parish in which it was situated is not stated, it was
probably in Huddington, for in 1291 the hospital
of St. Wulfstan owned 2 carucates of land in Crowle
and Huddington worth 20s. a year. (fn. 46) The lands at
Huddington and a building thereon were worth
26s. 8d. in 1535, (fn. 47) and after the suppression of the
hospital in 1540 (fn. 48) passed to the Crown. The estate
was granted to Richard Morrison in the same year, (fn. 49)
and the further descent of it has not been traced.
CHURCH
The church of ST. JAMES
(fn. 50) consists of a chancel 20½ ft. by 15 ft., a
nave 40 ft. by 17 ft., a south chapel 21 ft.
by 14 ft. and a north porch. These measurements
are all internal.
The earliest church of which traces remain was of
late 12th-century date, parts of the north and south
nave walls, with the two doorways, being of that
period. The chancel was probably of the same size
as the present one, which was rebuilt late in the
15th century. The south chapel was a 14th-century
addition, and within the last few years the whole
building has been repaired and restored.
The east window of the chancel is of three lights
with a 15th-century traceried head, and on each side
are defaced image niches with shields above. The
north and south chancel walls have each two windows
of two lights, with tracery above under a square
head, of the same date as the east window. In the
south-east corner is a plain piscina supported on a
square pillar with chamfered angles.
The 15th-century chancel arch is of
two moulded orders.
In the north wall of the nave the
western window and the north door
are original 12th-century work, the
latter having a round head and jambs
chamfered in the 14th century. The
other two windows, with that in the
west wall, are of the 14th century,
but the tracery of the easternmost is
modern, and all are of two lights.
The arcade of two bays to the south
chapel has pointed arches of two
moulded orders with moulded capitals.
The work is probably of the 14th
century, but has apparently been
recut in the 17th century.
The east window of the chapel is
of two lights, and perhaps dates from
the 14th century, but the two-light
windows to the south and west both
date from the late 16th century. In
the west window is some 15th and
16th-century heraldic glass comprising
three shields: (1) Cassey impaling
Cooksey; (2) Winter and Hungerford, being the arms of Roger and
Elizabeth Winter; (3) the arms of
George Winter, the father of the
conspirators. These shields are part
of the large quantity of glass removed
from the church about seventy years
ago, and recovered in 1906 by the
late vicar, the Rev. G. H. Poole.
Some of this glass is now in one of
the windows of the Raven Hotel,
Droitwich.
In the south wall are some remains of a blocked
piscina, and in the east wall is an image bracket.
The round-headed south door dates from the 12th
century and is partly restored. The roofs are 16th-century woodwork, and have at one time been
plastered.
The other fittings include a 17th-century chancel
screen with balusters, the remains of a 16th-century
screen, some linen pattern panels re-used for the
front of the quire stalls, and some 17th-century
panelling on either side of the altar.
In the south chapel is a monument to Sir George
Winter, bart., who died in 1658.
There is also a brass tablet to the same man, and
another to the 'honorabilissima heroina' Mary
daughter of Charles Viscount Carrington and second
wife of Sir George Winter of Huddington, who
died in 1642. Two other brass tablets record respectively Frances first wife of Sir George Winter,
who died in 1641, with her infant son and Adrian
Fortescue, who died in 1653. The timber porch,
which stands on modern dwarf walls of stone, dates
from the 16th century. The embattled cross beam
on the front is carved with an ogee arch on the
under side. The barge-boards of the gable form a
cinquefoiled arch with an ogee head, and the open
sides of the porch are divided by three moulded
wood shafts.
The exterior of the building has been repaired,
though the chancel retains its original ashlar facing
with diagonal buttresses and a plinth; the western
portions of the nave and aisle are rebuilt or refaced
with small coursed rubble. The roofs are tiled.
Huddington Church: Chancel from the South-East
There is one bell by Richard Sanders of Bromsgrove, cast in 1723.
The plate consists of a cup without hall-mark, but
with a shaped punch stamped S R above a star and
two dots, repeated four times. There are also a
modern paten and a small plated dish.
The registers (fn. 51) before 1812 are as follows:
(i) mixed entries 1695 to 1799, which appear to
overlap book ii, which has entries 1785 to 1812;
(iii) a marriage book 1756 to 1810.
ADVOWSON
Huddington was originally a
chapelry of the church of St. Helen
Worcester. (fn. 52) It is said afterwards
to have become annexed to the church of Crowle, (fn. 53)
but is called a church in 1291, 1340, and 1428. (fn. 54)
Before 1291 the church appears to have been appropriated to the hospital of St. Wulfstan, Worcester. (fn. 55)
In 1428 it was not taxed because there were not
ten inhabitants at Huddington. (fn. 56) The facts that
the church of Huddington is not mentioned in
the valuation of the possession of St. Wulfstan's
Hospital made in 1535, and that no presentations to
it have been found, confirm the opinion that it was a
chapelry of Crowle. It seems to have passed with
the church of Crowle (q.v.) to the Combes, for
John Combes and his wife Rose and Edward Combes
sold the advowson and tithes in 1570 to George
Winter. (fn. 57) The living then seems to have been
severed from that of Crowle, and the advowson remained in the possession of successive owners of the
manor, (fn. 58) belonging at the present day to the Earl of
Shrewsbury, while the rectory belongs to Lord
Edmund Talbot.
CHARITIES
In 1744 the Rev. — Wilkins, by
his will, left £5 to remain as a stock
for ever, the interest to be yearly
distributed in money on Good Friday to the poor by
the minister and churchwardens. The principal
sum came into private hands without security, and
no interest has been received for many years.