Boscobel House

Boscobel House is famous as both a holy and a royal refuge and for its many secret hiding places.

In 1632 John Gifford of Whiteladies converted the timber-framed farmhouse into a hunting lodge, but its remote position and the fact that the Gifford family was Catholic, at a time when the religion was outlawed, have led historians to contend that the true purpose of Boscobel was to serve as a hiding place for Catholics, particularly priests.

Following the execution of King Charles I, his eldest son made a brave but unsuccessful attempt to regain the throne. After the battle of Worcester in the final conflict of the Civil War, Charles II was forced to flee for his life and decided to make for France. Cromwell's patrols did their best to thwart his escape, in effect forcing the young prince to flee to Boscobel where he hid first in a tree now known as the Royal Oak (whose descendant may be glimpsed from the house and is located in the field from which the photo, upper left, was taken) and then in the priest-hole located in the attic of the house. Kassie (at left) is hiding in another priest-hole just off the main bedroom on the second floor.

Various tactics were used to throw soldiers and dogs alike off the track: urine, meat, you name it. Some of the priest-holes are small, such as the one Kassie tried out, while others, the one in the attic, for instance, can accommodate a man of about 6 feet, albeit in a prostrate position.

Charles remained in exile until 1660 and his restoration to the throne, following the death of Cromwell two years earlier. In his memoirs and accounts of his escape, Charles told the story of his night at Boscobel, making the modest house in Staffordshire a much-visited destination.

Accompanied By: Agnes and Robert Kardos
Date of Our Last Visit: July 2003