In June 2011 I visited Madresfield Court and had the chance to meander through the gardens and round the perimeters leaving time to consider the defences as they might have been in WW2. Then, the house was earmarked for the Royal Family, should they have needed to leave London in  a hurry. Part of my grandfather’s work in the Coats Mission was to visit houses periodically to ensure the defences were in order.

View across the outer moat.

The inner moat which goes all the way round the house.

The ha-ha.