Among the many owners who shaped Moor Hall across the centuries, none left a deeper mark than the Throckmortons of Coughton Court. Their tenure, spanning more than four hundred years, bound the Manor to one of the most dramatic events in English history: the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
The story began in 1562, when Sir Robert Throckmorton of Coughton (1513–1581) purchased Moor Hall. A prominent Warwickshire gentleman and resolute Catholic, he secured the estate for his family during the turbulent years of the English Reformation. From that moment, Moor Hall became more than just another property — it became part of a recusant network that sustained the Catholic faith in secrecy and defiance.
By the turn of the 17th century, Moor Hall had moved from being a refuge to becoming a focal point of conspiracy. Evidence suggests that the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 — the audacious plan to blow up King James I and the Houses of Parliament — was not merely whispered about but actually organised within the walls of Moor Hall itself. Here, the Throckmortons, along with their Catholic kin and allies, hosted clandestine discussions that would lead to one of England’s most infamous events.
The family’s name became inexorably tied to the Plot. While not all Throckmortons were directly implicated, their blood ties and recusant loyalties made Moor Hall a natural gathering point for those willing to gamble everything on the restoration of the old faith. In the wake of the Plot’s failure, Moor Hall — and the Throckmortons — came under intense suspicion, yet the estate remained in their hands for more than four centuries.
Their broader family seat, Coughton Court, stood as another emblem of this endurance. Today, Coughton Court is owned and cared for by the National Trust, its walls and priest holes offering a stark reminder of the dangers faced by Catholic families during the long years of persecution.
The Throckmortons finally parted with Moor Hall in the late twentieth century, but their legacy is etched into its very fabric. Plots were hatched, faith was preserved, and history was made within its rooms.
To speak of Moor Hall is, unavoidably, to speak of the Throckmortons — a family whose loyalty, defiance, and drama still echo through the manor’s stones.
Moor Hall & The Throckmortons: Key Dates
- 1562 – Sir Robert Throckmorton of Coughton purchases Moor Hall.
- 1605 – Gunpowder Plot is planned within Moor Hall’s walls.
- 17th–19th centuries – Throckmortons maintain Moor Hall despite persecution, fines and recusant restrictions.
- Late 20th century – The Throckmortons part with Moor Hall; their great house, Coughton Court, becomes property of the National Trust.