The Ancient High House: England’s Largest Timber Framed Town House
The Ancient High House in Stafford is the largest remaining timber framed town house in England.
Once dominating the skyline of Stafford, the Ancient High House is one of the finest Tudor buildings in the country.
Royalty was welcomed to the house in 1642 when King Charles I stayed there en route to Shrewsbury, and the house retains an extensive collection of period furniture and architectural features.
Today, this stunning building is the home of the Staffordshire Yeomanry Museum.
Built in around 1595 for the wealthy Dorrington family, the ornate timber framed building is reputed to be the largest surviving timber framed town house in England from the Tudor period.
The wonky structure was built from local oak, which came from the nearby Doxey Wood.
In 1986, the house opened as a museum and now provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the people who have lived there over the centuries.
Charles I visited Stafford and stayed at the Ancient High House on 17 and 18 September 1643, not long after raising the Royal Standard at Nottingham, the feudal signal to call his loyal subjects to arms.
This act was seen as the start of the English Civil War.
Having made the High House his temporary headquarters, the King talked to his advisers and dictating letters and military orders for the forthcoming campaign (some of these have been preserved in the nearby William Salt Library).
There is a story that while walking in the garden of the High House with the King, Prince Rupert fired two shots through the tail of the weather vane of St Mary's in order to demonstrate the accuracy of a continental Horse Pistol.
The weather vane was removed several centuries ago, and so the story cannot be verified, although the pistol Prince Rupert is said to have fired was far more accurate than most of the weapons then in use.
The main room of the house would have been the central room on the first floor, and it is here that guests, including King Charles I and Prince Rupert, would have been entertained.
There were rumours that the High house was going to have to be demolished due to the amount of work that was needed.
It was then that the townsfolk got together and a group was formed to raise funds to "save the Ancient High House".
At weekends, people would have stalls selling souvenirs and encouraging people to donate. Local band "the Climax Blues Band" held an event at a local night club and raised a substantial amount towards the cause.
There was talk of a "Blue Plaque" to commemorate the band's efforts, sadly this never transpired.
The Ancient High House is now largely a historic house museum with a collection of period room furnishings and displays, including the English Civil War.
The museum
Visitors can see the Civil War Room where King Charles 1 and Prince Rupert stayed during their brief visit to the town.
The Stuart Bedroom is also on display, a magnificent four poster bed.
You can also admire the elegant splendour of the Wallpaper Room with its Georgian displays; visit Mr Marson in his Edwardian Shop; and observe the grand comfort of the Victorian Room.
To learn more about how the house was built the Castle Room has an interesting display showing and explaining the method of construction and the materials used.
The attic floor is home to the Staffordshire Yeomanry Regiment Museum, founded in 1794.
As a local volunteer force, the Yeomanry saw active service for over 200 years.
The extensive range of items on display reflects their illustrious and distinguished history.
An exciting programme of exhibitions by regional artists takes place in two gallery spaces and a changing history exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to view a range of artefacts not generally on public display.
There is a school and group tour programme and occasional themed tours, talks and workshops to support our history exhibitions.
Throughout the year we have an exciting range of events, activities and workshops that bring added colour and bustle to the rooms.
The ground floor shop, meanwhile, offers a wide range of gifts, souvenirs, traditional toys and local crafts. And we stock an extensive range of local history books.
With hands on activities, children's games and quizzes there is something for all the family.
Museum collections
Weapons: A considerable number of weapons are on display in the Ancient High House, including ceremonial swords and this Mauser carbine rifle captured during the Boer War.
Uniforms: Some of the uniforms on display have been used for ceremonial duties until recent times. The hardest part is trying to find someone small enough to fit them!
Archive: The Museum possesses an ever-increasing archive of photos and documents. A mounted regiment, here is proof that it wasn't just horses.
Silverware and Honours: Like all regiments, the Staffordshire Yeomanry possesses an impressive amount of silverware. Some of this is on display at the Museum and is still used on formal occasions.
Equipment: There is an interesting array of equipment at the Museum, including all the kit required for a mounted soldier and his steed.
One recent visitor said: “The Ancient High House is a fantastic old house in the centre of Stafford and as you approach it, you instantly notice that the building gets progressively wider as it gets higher.
”Apparently this was because the actual cost of land was very expensive, so to save costs, pay for a smallish footfall and go wider as you build!
”The house has themed rooms on three floors and they are all very well done - the information provided is also top class and paints a very full picture of the history.
”Free to enter, this is without doubt the “must visit” place if you come to Stafford.”
Another person added: “What a treasure! Stafford is extremely fortunate to have such a beautiful piece of history.
”We came to visit with a pushchair, which the staff allowed us to leave at the bottom of the stairs, next to the reception (inside the building).
”It was amazing being able to go back in time and see what an original Tudor house used to look like.”
If you’d like to visit, the address is: 48 Greengate St, Stafford ST16 2JA.
Entry is free, but donations are welcomed.
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