Secrets

A slightly unusual perspective on a much-photographed building. The high, vertical lines and rectangular features of Chastleton House invite a face-on picture from the front gate. The result is a fine shot of an imposing Jacobean country house - one of my favourite buildings in this area - but a house that appears to have no front door!

This picture, from a corner of the churchyard next door, shows why: the door is set into the side elevation of one of the bays that stand out from the frontage. I wonder why. I knew the estate had associations witb Robert Catesby, of gunpowder plot infamy, and I thought perhaps the design had something to do with confusing unwelcome visitors during those years of religious conflict. But, in fact, the house was built by a pillar of the (protestant) establishment, Walter Jones, who is buried in the churchyard where I was standing. Jones bought the estate from Catesby, demolished the old house and built this one in the first decade of the 17th century

The disappearing door may have shown its worth 40 years later, when Jones's grandson fled the Civil War battle of Worcester and hid here in a secret room, while his wife pulled wool over the eyes of parliamentary soldiers and pacified them with drugged beer

There is a gorgeous barrel-vaulted 'long room' on the top floor of the house - used for 'ladies'' exercise on wet days. This was used in scenes from the television production of Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall', though the house was not built until 80 years after the events depicted in the novel

Chastleton's other odd distinction is that it claims to be the place where the rules of croquet were developed and written down. The game has no association with May Day or Beltane, but today would have been a fine day for it

As I took the picture, I heard a familiar sound above my head. I wonder if the wardens of Chastleton church know that they have a colony of bees in their 14th century west wall. Free wax candles, if they can find a way to get at it - the entrance is at least 8 metres from the ground

More about the house here