Madresfield Court

About the museum

Madresfield Court is first recorded in the twelfth century as a moated great hall owned by the de Braci family. A deed of 1280 names William de Braci as living there, and the Lygon family who live at the house today descend directly from him. The house is said never to have been bought or sold, and the present family are the twenty-ninth generation to live there.

The brick front shows two periods of building, the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries. A stone above the door dated 1593 was found in a heap of rubble by the 7th Earl and set into its present place. The 5th, 6th and 7th Earls largely created the house as it looks now, and it played a part in the Arts and Crafts movement, so it holds a fine collection of paintings, furniture and ceramics. Edward Elgar and Evelyn Waugh were frequent visitors.

The gardens grew from about four acres around the house to roughly 65 acres under the 6th Earl. They include formal lawns, avenues of oak and cedar, a Pulhamite rock garden and an iris and peony border. The house is still a private family home, and visitors can see about ten main rooms, including the Staircase Hall, Dining Room, Library and Chapel, on guided tours.

Highlights

• Moated house lived in by the same family for almost 900 years
• Staircase Hall, Library and Arts and Crafts Chapel
• Collection of paintings, furniture and ceramics
• Pulhamite rock garden and avenues of oak and cedar
• Guided tours of about ten main rooms

Permanent exhibitions

• Guided tour of the Court – A tour of about ten rooms of the moated house, including the Staircase Hall, Dining Room, Library and Chapel, with its collection of paintings, furniture and ceramics.
• Gardens – Formal gardens, tree-lined avenues and a Pulhamite rock garden, open on tour days to ticket holders for a self-guided walk.

Operated by

Madresfield Estate (Board of Trustees)

Admission & discounts

Tickets are sold online in advance only; the website had not published 2026 prices, and tickets for 2027 are expected from spring 2027. For ticket purposes an adult is anyone aged 16 or over. A hot drink and cake can be bought when booking a tour.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The tour route has many stairs and few places to sit, and the upstairs galleries and the Chapel may not be reachable for visitors with limited mobility. Visitors should contact the estate when booking, or at least seven days before the tour, to ask whether reasonable adjustments can be made. An access statement is on the website. The garden ground can be uneven. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the house.

Kids & families

Not suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 16+

Tours are not suitable for children under 16, including infants.

Getting there & parking

The sat-nav postcode is WR13 5AJ. The village of Madresfield is 3 miles from Great Malvern and 8 miles south of Worcester. There is no access to the house from the B4244/B4211 Powick to Upton-upon-Severn road, so visitors should drive through the village and follow the signs to the public entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Refreshments, such as a hot drink and cake, are available on tour days and are served in the Play Room. Toilets are in the Lygon Room near the car park, where tours start.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit