Boscobel House is a Grade II* listed building in the parish of Boscobel in Shropshire. It has been, at various times, a farmhouse, a hunting lodge, and a holiday home; but it is most famous for its role in the escape of Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Today it is managed by English Heritage.
Boscobel House
A descendant of the Royal Oak at Boscobel House
Alleged priest hole on the first floor of Boscobel House, at present in a bedroom cupboard. Its authenticity is open to challenge.
Priest hole on the second floor. At present it is at the top of a staircase, but the stairs were a few feet to the left in the 17th century.
After the final defeat of Royalists in the English Civil War against Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651, the future Charles II of England was forced to flee England. With the support of a network of Royalist gentry, Charles first attempted to escape into Wales, then to Bristol disguised as a servant, then to the south coast at Charmouth. Finally, he rode east to Shoreham from where he sailed for France on 15 October 1651. During the six-week flight, he passed through numerous English counties, and at one point was forced to hide in an oak tree on the grounds of a house that was being searched by Parliamentarian soldiers. A £1000 reward had been offered for information leading to Charles's capture.
King Charles II in Boscobel Wood by Isaac Fuller (died 1672)
Plaque outside King Charles House pub, New Street, in Worcester
Boscobel House, Shropshire
A descendant of the Royal Oak at Boscobel House
