Madresfield

---

title: "Madresfield" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["villages-in-worcestershire", "malvern,-worcestershire", "civil-parishes-in-worcestershire"] description: "Village in Worcestershire, England" topic_path: "general/villages-in-worcestershire" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madresfield" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Village in Worcestershire, England ::

::data[format=table title="infobox UK place|"]

Field	Value
country	England
coordinates
official_name	Madresfield
static_image_name	Estate cottages, Madresfield - geograph.org.uk - 996028.jpg
static_image_width	250
static_image_caption	Estate houses in the village
shire_district	Malvern Hills
shire_county	Worcestershire
region	West Midlands
civil_parish	Madresfield
constituency_westminster	West Worcestershire
postcode_district	WR13
postcode_area	WR
post_town	MALVERN
os_grid_reference	SO804473
::

| country = England | coordinates = | official_name = Madresfield | population = | static_image_name = Estate cottages, Madresfield - geograph.org.uk - 996028.jpg | static_image_width = 250 | static_image_caption = Estate houses in the village | shire_district = Malvern Hills | shire_county = Worcestershire | region = West Midlands | civil_parish = Madresfield | constituency_westminster = West Worcestershire | postcode_district = WR13 | postcode_area = WR | post_town = MALVERN | dial_code = | os_grid_reference = SO804473 | london_distance = Madresfield is a village and civil parish in the administrative district of Malvern Hills in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is located about two miles east of Malvern town centre at the foot of the Malvern Hills and is less than two miles from the River Severn. Surrounded by farms and common land, it has a clear view of the entire range of the Malvern Hills, and is part of the informal region referred to as The Malverns.

Etymology / Pronunciation

The name Madresfield derives from the Old English mǣðeresfeld, meaning either 'mower's field' or 'Maethhere's field'.

Madresfield is pronounced "Ma-ders Field" or "Ma-dres Field".

History & Amenities

Madresfield is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, as it was part of the manor of Powick.

Madresfield is part of a Church of England parish which includes the neighbouring village of Guarlford. There is a parish church in the village (dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin). There have been three churches, the first a small chapel that was mainly used by the Beauchamps. A second church, built on marshy ground to the designs of Augustus Pugin, was demolished after only twelve years after becoming unsafe. The present church was built on land donated by the Earl Beauchamp and re-used many items from the earlier church. The church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, has a refurbished peal of bells which are on the visiting circuit of regional campanologists. The bells were rehung in December 2005 following recasting of 1 and 2 from the scrap metal of the old 4th and tenor and retuning the other bells., The village also has a primary school.

A Roman kiln was discovered on ground near Northend Farm, and near to what is now called Roman Way. There is an 800-year-old ditch alongside Townsend Way that was once the boundary to the ancient village of Madresfield.

The main road though the village was re-routed in the early 19th century to move it away from Madresfield Court. Many of the village houses were built just after this period.

The village boasted two village greens, Mathersfield Green near "Byways" and Bunn's Green on the corner of Northend Lane and Rectory Lane.

The first point-to-point racing amateur horseback race was held at Madresfield in 1836.

Madresfield Court

Main article: Madresfield Court

The stately home, near the village centre has been the ancestral home for several centuries of the Lygon family, whose eldest sons took the title of Earl Beauchamp from 1815 until 1979, when the last Earl died. Distinguished collections of furniture and art are housed in the Court, which was rated by Simon Jenkins to be among the 50 best in his book on 1,000 historic houses. The house is managed by the Elmley Foundation, a British registered charity.

In the event of a German invasion threatening London, a 1940 government plan was to move the Royal Family to Madresfield.

References

References

1. "Madresfield". The Institute for Name-Studies.
2. "The DiCamillo Companion - Lord W Pronunciation Guide".
3. [http://meadesshrine.blogspot.co.uk/1998/02/twp.html MeadesShrine] ''Travels With Pevsner'' (1998) 6:00-6:20
4. "Parishes: Madresfield | British History Online".
5. [http://www.wdcra.org.uk/madres.htm The Worcestershire & Districts Change Ringing Association]
6. Jenkins, Simon (2003) ''England's Thousand Best Houses'', Allen Lane, {{ISBN. 0-7139-9596-3
7. Neil Tweedie. (20 January 2011). "Madresfield Court: The King's redoubt if Hitler called". Daily Telegraph.

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