Building record 33/4/1 - Manor Farmhouse

Manor house, now farmhouse. Late C17 altered C18, incorporating C16 work. Surrounded on three sides by a ha-ha.

{1} Manor house, now farmhouse. Late C17 altered C18, incorporating C16 work. Squared coursed ironstone and limestone, slate roof. Brick stacks. Double-depth plan, 2 storeys, attic and cellar, 6 bays. Doorway in third bay from right has moulded stone frame with frieze of acanthus leaves and segmental pediment on scroll brackets. C19 half-glazed double doors with overlight. 3 sash windows with plain stone frames to left. Similar window to right. Sash window in right bay has wood lintel and side lights. Sash windows on first floor with wood lintels. Hipped roof with stack to right of centre. 2-light stone-mullioned window to cellar on right side. Medieval stone gargoyle of a monkey on left side. Irregular gabled rear elevation has doorway in third bay from left with wood lintel and 6-panel door. C20 brick porch across 2 left bays. Blocked 2-light stone mullioned window in left bay, one-light stone framed window with square hood (also blocked) second bay from left. 3-light window to right has wood lintels. Original wood mullions and transom, and old iron casement. Windows on first floor have wood lintels and C20 casements. Interior: Kitchen and adjoining room at rear have large moulded spine beams, probably early C16. Similar beam in first floor room. Plain stone doorway from hall to kitchen. Blocked pointed stone arch to right. 3 pointed stone arched (blocked) in wall of first floor corridor, each approx. one metre high. Timber stud partition in small room to right of hall. C18 staircase with turned balusters. Cellars said to have plain stone vaulting. William Plowden a colonel in King James II's guards, "rebuilt the manor house at Aston and lived there for a few years", but being a catholic he became "an obnoxious man" to the violent whigs of the neighbourhood and later "quitted Aston in disgust". By the early C19 the house had been "reduced in size and modernised". (G. Baker, Northamptonshire, 1822-30, Vol.I, p.470).

{6} Photograph;

{7} Undated photo.

{8} (SP 49385077) Manor House (LB).

{9} [Former list description] On a moated site, the present manor house of Aston le Walls is
surrounded on three sides by a ha-ha. C18th alterations were made to an older house (C16th features survive), and this in turn was altered in the C19th.

{10} At Aston le Wells manor house were 52 fish ponds. Some still remain, and vestiges of others now disused.

{11} Although the manor house has many alterations it is still outstanding. (See photograph). Fishponds surveyed at 1:2500 (with annotations). There is no moat visible.
PHOTOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL OMITTED.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 2/2 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F02 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.95 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.470 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<5> Ellison, M., 1999, Manor Farm, Aston le Walls, (checked) (Slides). SNN107477.

<6> Various, Various, Photographs of buildings in Aston le Walls, 87/24 (Photographs). SNN111135.

<7> Photographs of buildings in Aston Le Walls (Photographs). SNN111879.

<8> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS " 1955 (Map). SNN112944.

<9> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, MHLG list, Brackley Road 1955, 1. (Report). SNN112993.

<10> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p. 100 (Book). SNN77325.

<11> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 17-APR-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

Record last edited

Jun 17 2024 3:43PM