I think I was in my late 20s when I developed an unexpected passion for Countryfile. It's not the rare breeds of sheep that I love, nor the farmers finding a lucrative sideline in making crisps out of turnips. It's the people they interview - the people that have devoted their ENTIRE LIVES to protecting a certain species of moss, or a specific type of bat that I've never even heard of.
So I basically need you all to go to Greyfriars and do my job for me - let me know how you get on?
Greyfriars House: 5 out of 5
Scones: 0 out of 5 because I didn't ask for any. I'm so sorry, everyone.
Chances of me being sacked as Scone Blogger: 5 out of 5
I ate my scone in the Greyfriars garden, which I highly recommend. It's a lovely little tranquil spot.
And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: "But Scone Blogger! You yourself have selflessly devoted your ENTIRE LIFE to a noble cause - the noble cause of scones!" To which I reply: "This is undoubtedly true, and at times it is very challenging, but sitting in tea rooms eating jam is not the same as standing in a freezing barn with a torch, looking for a colony of greater horseshoes that might not be there".
ANYWAY. I mention this because Greyfriars House and Garden in Worcester would 100% be a car park today if a group of extremely determined individuals had not devoted their lives to opposing the council and saving it from destruction.
Greyfriars - the happier history:
- Greyfriars House was originally built in the 1480s for a Thomas Grene
- He was High Bailiff of Worcester and wanted to show off his wealth
- After Grene died, it was passed through various owners and tenants
- It was acquired by Francis Street who sold it to the council for £100 and rented it back for £5 a year
- The Streets were staunch Royalists, as was most of Worcester - the Streets ended up leaving Greyfriars during Cromwell's rule
- The house was subsequently divided up with various residents and tenants moving in - it was used as a pub, and was home to a greengrocer, a milliner, a book dealer, an umbrella maker, a tinsmith, and even a fish fryer
But then came tough times:
- By 1912 Greyfriars was in a poor state and by the 1930s it was derelict
- The Worcestershire Archaelogical Society tried to rescue the building but no deal could be reached with the owner
- In 1936 the council ordered its demolition
- However, the archaelogical society was not deterred and fought on
- In 1939, all demolition work was stopped because of the outbreak of war
- In 1943, a man called William John Thompson bought the property and carried out emergency repairs but he couldn't continue to fund it long-term
The Moores to the rescue:
- Matley and Elsie Moore were siblings who offered to restore Greyfriars at their own expense as long as they could live it in
- They collected the contents of the house that we see today
- They were interesting characters - Alan the guide told us that they often held tea parties and if you didn't show up or send a thank you letter afterwards, you didn't get invited back
- They were very frugal, so the house was bitterly cold in winter
- Matley didn't like televisions or radios or anything that made a noise - Elsie had to keep her radio in her bedroom
- They had a controlling mother - after she died in 1953, Elsie used her money to buy three shops opposite Greyfriars to save them from demolition
- The Moores left the contents to the NT in their wills, with the stipulation that no ropes or barriers would be used and visitors could roam freely
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The Parlour, where Matley and Elsie Moore used to sit. No TV = no Countryfile, which is very sad |
Other things I learned today that I didn't know:
- In the 1400s, all men were required by law to practice archery every Sunday
- Worcester is a really, really lovely little city - why didn't I know this?
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The garden at Greyfriars - you can sit and drink your tea on the patio when it's not pouring down, as it was when I went |
Greyfriars House: 5 out of 5
Scones: 0 out of 5 because I didn't ask for any. I'm so sorry, everyone.
Chances of me being sacked as Scone Blogger: 5 out of 5
STOP PRESS! Greyfriars House Revisited!
OK, maybe "STOP PRESS!" doesn't quite work when 6 years have passed but anyway: today, March 23rd 2023, I went back to Greyfriars. My aim was to right the wrongs of my first visit, when I failed to ding a little bell and find out if they had any scones.
This time I was very much in luck: the lovely woman in the cafe told me that the scones were fresh out of the oven, which cheered me up immensely. I think I've said the words "it's hard to ruin a fresh scone" to every journalist in the universe over the past three weeks, since I finished the National Trust Scone Quest at the Giant's Causeway.
I'm pleased to tell you that the Greyfriars scone proved me right: it was a fantastic scone. Slightly warm, fluffy, a good amount of fruit, and baked to perfection. A triumph.
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King John's tomb in Worcester cathedral |
Scones: 5 out of 5!
I think that the law that every man practise archery is still on the statute book and has never been repealed.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't even trust my sons with a sharp pencil, so I'm not sure where that leaves us...