House and Garden 
was a Templar in the Holy 
Wars. The place became 
important politically in 1300, 
but in 1524 shared the fate of 
all the small religious houses, 
and was suppressed by Cardi¬ 
nal Wolsey. Upon his fall 
“The Commandery” and 
lands were granted by the 
king to one of his peers. It 
fell later into the hands of a 
wealthy clothier of Worcester, 
in whose family it remained a 
century. Then its fortunes 
were varied for many years 
following. It had a number 
of owners, some of whom 
were no respecters of its 
ancient architectural beauties. 
One was so much of a vandal 
that he cut a driveway through 
the superb old great ball or 
refectory, thereby exposing to wind and 
weather the fine old oak carvings of what 
had been the hall’s minstrel gallery. The 
present owner, Mr. Joseph Littlebury, is, 
fortunately, in fullest sympathy with the 
A WINDING WAY IN WORCESTER 
historic interest and charm of the place, and 
has spared no pains, thought or expense in 
restoring it as nearly to its former dignity 
and beauty as possible. In the famous old 
hall, with its splendid oriel window still 
OLD TRINITY HOUSE, AS RESTORED. 
filled with curious painted glass of the 
fifteenth century, its curving timbered ceiling 
and its rare oak carvings, King Charles II. 
dined with the Duke of Hamilton the night 
before the battle of Worcester, in September, 
1651. And here the Duke 
of Hamilton was brought 
wounded the next day and 
died, for “The Commandery” 
had been chosen as the quar¬ 
ters of the Duke while the 
Royalists occupied the town. 
Just back of the house is Fort 
Royal, the hill which was the 
centre of the Royalists’ posi¬ 
tion during that fatal battle. 
And it is said that after his 
defeat of that day, Charles II. 
escaped capture by means of a 
subway from the hill to “ The 
Commandery,” and from there 
byway of a secret chamber to 
the roof. Here ladders were 
in readiness and, while a 
handful of Royalists defended 
old Sudbury Gate, by obstruct¬ 
ing it with a load of overturned hay, Charles 
found refuge in the house of one of his 
loyal subjects from where later he escaped 
in disguise. The secret chamber of “The 
Commandery,” with the hole in its roof by 
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