Double disaster at West Midlands manor house which robbed the nation
Dowles Manor, near Bewdley, was not just one of our region's heritage gems, it was also a house full of treasures.
But there was to be a double disaster at Dowles which has forever robbed the nation of this black and white jewel.
The first blow was a devastating fire, which destroyed much of the priceless contents. According to the experts, the building itself could be saved, as indeed it should have been, as it had Grade Two listed status for its historical and architectural interest – a place to be cherished, preserved, and protected.
And then the second and fatal blow fell. Dowles Manor was partly pulled down without permission. A high profile court case was to follow in the 1990s, but the damage was done. It was the end of the building, which bore the date 1560 in one of its old beams and took its name from a nearby brook, as history had known it.
Our photos date from better days, when the property was open to the public, with admission fees going to a national charity. They were taken in April 1956. In one picture we have a view of the old hall from the garden, while the other shows the principal room of the house, called the "house place," with its big hearth and 16th century murals on the walls.
