Priest Holes, secret chambers & hiding places.. #notontopic

Inspired by a visit to Oxburgh Hall on the way back from Norfork I am a little obsessed by priest holes, so i have made a target to visit the six best ones in the country during 2012. I think there's something in here i like about people trafficing ahead of the olympics, contraband, smuggling off the yorkshire coast, and generally links with modern persecution and religious intolerance..

1. Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk. One of the finest remaining examples of Nicholas Owen’s work. Visitors can enter the hideaway and imagine how the hunted priests felt (National Trust). Call 0044 (0)1366 328258 for admission details.
2. Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire. This is a medieval moated manor with Elizabethan interiors and three priest holes, one reached through the sacristy (National Trust). 0044 (0)1564 783294.
3. Stonor Park, Oxfordshire. See the priest hole where the Jesuit martyr Edmund Campion hid. He also wrote and printed at the house. 0044 (0)1491 638587.
4. Moseley Old Hall, Staffordshire. See the priest hole in the Kings Room. This is an Elizabethan house that would later become famous for its association with King Charles II – see the bed where he slept (National Trust). 0044 (0)1902 782808.
5. Harvington Hall, Worcestershire.  Four priest holes – all built around the central staircase – are almost certainly the work of Nicholas Owen. 0044 (0)1562 777846.
6. Speke Hall, Merseyside. Discover the priest hole in one of the most famous Tudor manors in England. 0044 (0)151 4277231. (all from here)

And lastly here's two good links with pictures (don't read the whole thing) and more on secret rooms.