Badge Court

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Badge Court is an estate in Worcestershire, England. It was once called Batchcott and was originally occupied by an Earl of Shrewsbury. Its most famous resident was Helena Wintour, the daughter of Gunpowder Plot conspirator Robert Wintour.

The house is two stories tall and built of brick and wood with a tiled roof. The moat that was once part of the design has been filled in, and a plaster front was added later. Inside, 16th‑century carved oak panelling runs from the entrance through much of the home. The Wintour family coat of arms appears on the main hall ceiling and is carved on an oak panel in the dining room. The master bedroom fireplace is decorated with patterned tiles, many showing the Wintour arms and other noble families. One tile bears the name “Sir John Talbot,” likely Helena Wintour’s grandfather.

Helena Wintour, a Catholic, sheltered priests at Badge Court and held Mass there. She also embroidered the Wintour Vestments for the priests who stayed at the house. One set of these garments is now at Stonyhurst College, while another remained in the family and is in a private collection near Tewkesbury. The vestments have been studied by Dr. Sophie Holroyd.