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Hanley Castle belonged to the Lechmeres but is now in the Hornyolds of Blackmore park. Its once venerable castle stood near the Seven; and must have been a place of some importance, as the residence of the Nevilles, Dukes of Warwick, and afterwards of the Despencers. It is described as having been surrounded by a deep moat, and forming an immense quadrangle with a lofty keep. It seems, however, to have been much dilapidated, even in the reign of Henry VIII for Leland says, “Hanley is from Upton a mile in dextra ripa Sabrinae, a mile above Upton, and a flint shotte from Severne. It is an uplandisch toune, the castelle Standith in a parke at the west end of the toune. Sir John Savage, and his father, and his grauntfather lay much about Hamley, and Theoksbury, as keepers of Hamley. The Arles of Glouster were owners of this castelle, and lay much there. Mr. Cometon Clene defaced it in his time, being keeper after Savage.”
Its present state of demolition is well depicted by Cattle, when he says in his “Malvern”,

“ Now not one stone remains to claim the sigh
Of passing man, save when the hollow winds
Bending the nightshade’s head, or nettle rank
Disclose some sculptur’d fragment green and damp,
And half immur’d in earth. But the’ this pile
Hath fall’n long, yet fancy still delights
To trace the busy scenes of ancient days.”

To enliven this sombre scene we shall now relate an anecdote of one of its former possessors, which Dr. Nash has preserved. He observes that the first Lord Lechmere was a good lawyer, a quick and distinguished orator, much courted by the whig party in the early reigns of the last century, but of a temper violent, proud, and implacable. This character may, indeed, be easily conjectured from what Sir Robert Walpole said to him, drawing a parallel between him and one of his coach horses. Lord L. who was a great lover of fine horses, overtaking Sir Robert coming in his coach from Chelsea, admired his cattle. Sir Robert agreed with him that they were all fine horses; but, says he, “there is one in the set that is worth all the rest, of he would not be restive, but draw in company; sometimes he is so violent that he will draw all himself; at other times he will hang back and do a great deal more harm than good.” The same ardent temper prompted him once to speak in the House of Commons the very instant he had taken the usual oaths; upon which a member spoke to order, and observed jocosely, that Mr. Lechmere had no right to the privileges of a sitting member, and therefore could not address the chair, not yet having taken his seat in the House.

Dripsill, is in the immediate neighbourhood; long the country residence of Sir Charles Trubshaw Withers, whose kindness to the city of Worcester induced him to form those public walks in Sansom fields. The house possesses much beauty, and the grounds are well laid out, and though not designed for show, it has not been deficient in hospitality.

Ham Court, now the elegant seat of the Martin family, is close to the town of Upon; and that manor having fallen to the crown by attainder after the death of Richard III his successor sold it to the family of Bromley, one of whom was elevated to the high dignity of Chancellor. His female heiress, after some generations, carried it by marriage to John Martin, Esq. and that family, with a pious and judicious regard to the memory of their ancestors, have lately built an elegant mansion, consisting of a centre three stories high, with two projecting wings, situated on a rising lawn studded with plantations in an elegant style of improvement, on the banks of the Severn; to which they have given the ancient, but now revived, name of Ham Court. It is of course elegantly furnished, and contains a valuable library, and no less valuable collection of paintings, by the best masters.

Source: A Topographical and Historical Description of the County of Worcester, by Mr. Laird. Printed for Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, Paternoster Row; and George Cowie and Co. successors to Vernor, Hood, and Sharp, 31, Poultry, London. Printed circa 1814.