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Padley chapel

  


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Padley chapel

Padley Chapel

Padley chapel is the remains of Padley Manor, thought to have been built originally in the 14th and 15th centuries and came to Sir Thomas Fitzherbert on his marriage to Anne Eyre in the mid 16th century. Both families were staunch Roman Catholics and it was because of this that Sir Thomas was arrested at Padley in 1588 by Lord Shrewsbury’s agent. Three priests were found in hiding in the house and were taken for trial at Derby. Having been found guilty they were hung, drawn and quartered on the 25th July of that year. They became known as the ‘Padley Martyrs’. Sir Thomas spent the rest of his life in the Tower of London and died there in 1591. Padley Manor was confiscated by the Crown. Padley chapel today is a conversion from the original in 1933 to become the ‘Martyrs Chapel’. The chapel had been on the upper floor of this wing before conversion to encompass the whole of the remains. Two doorways are original as well as part of the hammerbeam roof with angel terminals.

padley chapel

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