Author: Ron Jones, Col. John Pickerings’ Regiment of Foote

Orders of the day, Volume 30, Issue 5, 1998

Sir Thomas Holte (1571-1654) started building Aston Hall in 1618 and it was completed in 1635. It was one of the largest and most ornate Jacobean houses in Warwickshire. There has been some remodelling and redecoration work done during the 17th and 18th centuries by successive members of the Holte family, but the building still has plenty of Jacobean work to admire. The contents of the house range through three centuries but there is ample to see from our period, which is what I will concentrate on here.

Entering the building you first encounter the Great Hall. There are examples of 17C furniture here, the most imposing piece being the large early 17C oak dining table with its distinctive parquetry top. Moving into the Great Parlour you find yourself in a dark room with walls covered in early 17C panelling. Further examples of 17C furniture include armchairs, a press cupboard, a communion table, stools, dining and side table. The Great Stairs are very impressive, using a cantilever method of construction and with a very elaborate oak balustrade with high relief carved newels. On the first floor one of the newel tops is missing and other damage is also visible, both caused by Parliamentary cannon fire when the Hall was under siege in December 1643. There are four cannonballs on display in a case on the staircase which were found in the Hall after the bombardment.

Sir Thomas Holte garrisoned the Hall with forty musketeers sent to him from Dudley Castle by Colonel Leveson. Trees were cleared, earthworks constructed and the parish church just outside Aston Hall was used as a stronghold. Colonel Bosville came from Coventry and with a force of 1200 men tried to capture the Hall. Sir Thomas held out for three days before surrendering with a loss of twelve men, compared to the sixty men lost by Parliament. Sir Thomas and his men were then sent to Coventry as prisoners.

Passing through a large stone doorcase you find yourself in the Great Dining Room. Contents of this room are mainly 18C furniture but there is a very large portrait of King Charles I and his family by Remi Van Leemput which occupies most of the wall and is well worth seeing. There is also an excellent 17C ornate plasterwork ceiling and frieze, and a fine Jacobean chimney piece. The next room of interest is King Charles’ Room, where the King stayed the night of 18th October 1642 whilst on his way to Edgehill. There are portraits of King Charles and Queen Henrietta Maria, both copies of Van Dyck originals, and a mid-17C walnut cabinet with an ormulu and tortoiseshell interior, believed to have been a gift from the King to Sir Thomas.

The Long Gallery is about 125 feet in length and very impressive, although the floor undulates all the way along due to the short floorboards used. There is plenty of 17C furniture and a strapwork ceiling, oak panelling and an elaborate chimney piece, all dating from the 1630’s. There are eight tapestries from 1607-1627 woven in Paris.

Up in the attic is Dick’s Garrett, where there is a fine example of a buffcoat of about 1650 on display and examples of various morions and a set of pikeman’s armour, which unfortunately can only be seen from a distance. There are a couple of lobster pots and back-and-breast plates with musket ball dents clearly visible in them which can be closely examined. In the Kitchen there are plenty of 17C flagons, dishes and tankards and a large late 1600’s oak circular table. There is much more to be admired in these and other rooms, like the large creaky floorboards and heavy doors. One minor criticism would be that you cannot get close enough to examine some of the exhibits, but just admiring the architecture and grounds of the Hall more than makes up for this.

Aston Hall is open to the public from late March to early November, from 2.00-5.00pm every day. It is situated in Trinity Road, Aston, close to Junction 6 of the M6 and to the Aston Villa football ground. There are bus and rail services which will drop you about ten minutes walk from the Hall. Admission is free. For further information, telephone 0121 327 0062.