Building record 812/4/1 - Manor Farmhouse

Manor house. C16th origins, mainly C17th and C18th, extended C19th. Regular coursed and squared coursed limestone with Collyweston slate roof. May incorporate masonry from Benefield Castle

{1} Manor house. C16th origins, mainly C17th and C18th, extended C19th. Regular coursed and squared coursed limestone with Collyweston slate roof. Originally probably 2-unit lobby-entry, then L-shape, plan, now T-shape with additions. 2 storeys with attic. Main front is a 2-window range of 2-light stone mullion windows with hood moulds. Central panelled door has moulded stone surround and 4-centred arch head. Continuous buttresses to right of centre and to left. Hipped roof with C18 dentilled wood cornice. Ashlar stacks at ridge and end and similar lateral stack to rear. One-window range extension to left has 3-light stone mullion windows, lower eaves and gabled roof with ashlar parapet and stack to left. Elevation to right has one-window range of C19 two-light stone mullion windows. C19 wing attached to rear left has one-window range at ground floor and 2-window range at first floor. Casement windows under stone lintels, those at first floor have gablets over. Rear elevation has gable to left ith 3-light stone mullion windows. 2 C19 door openings to right. Interior: central stack probably has open fireplace. C19 staircase, some C18 two-panelled doors. Some original roof structure, centre of main front has principals with curved feet. Manor first mentioned in 1535. May incorporate masonry from Benefield Castle which was to the south-west. House probably developed from 2 units by addition of cross-wing to left of main front, then C18 extension of main front by one bay to right and construction of the hipped roof.

{3} To the north of the castle was the Manor House which apparently superseded the castle and is mentioned in 1445 at which date it settled by Elizabeth, wife of Richard Lord de Grey, on John Zouche and his wife.

{4} 'The manor house is supposed to stand on some of the buildings belonging to the castle'.

{5} Early maps appear to fail to show an accurate plan of the house and the Tithe Map of 1848-50 does not show it at all. The first accurate plan is the 1885 First Edition Ordnance Survey map, which shows it much as it is now.
The earliest surviving section of building comprises the north-south range which forms the central core of the house, a simple two-cell plan either side of a central stack.
A possible attempt at a spurious historical link to the castle may have been attempted by introducing re-used elements; possibly undertaken during the 19th century. The south elevation is dominated by its deeply overhanging cornice, previously ascribed an 18th-century date, although it is actually a century later. The hipped roof replaced the gabled roof of the earlier two-bay core building. The 'butttresses' appear to be remedial structural supports for the building after the gable ties had been lost.

{7} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 13/18 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G09 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.76 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<4> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire (Book). SNN100366.

<5> Prentice, J. & Soden, I, 2017, A heritage asset survey of Manor Farm, Lower Benefield, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN111406.

<6> Crank, N. (Editor), 2018, South Midlands Archaeology (48), p. 59 (Journal). SNN111393.

<7> Photographs of buildings in Benefield (Photographs). SNN111913.

Record last edited

Mar 18 2020 2:31PM