Building record 1174/5/1 - The Manor House, Passenham

A country house of early 17th and 18th century date with possibly earlier origins. The house was extended in the mid 19th century and in 1935 it was repaired and an attic nursery created by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The building is of coursed squared limestone with old plain-tile roofs, brick ridge, lateral and internal stacks. The house has a complex plan comprising two storeys and attic with a 10-window range. Gabled cross-wings project either end and just left of the centre of the long main range, with shallow 2-storey canted bay windows to gable ends of wings. The three-window section of the main range between the left and middle cross-wings has a central gabled stone porch with moulded Tudor-arched head, hood mould and 20th century door.

{1} Country house. Early C17 and C18 possibly with older origins, extended mid C19, repaired and attic nursery created by Sir Edwin Lutyens 1935. Coursed squared limestone, old plain-tile roofs, brick ridge, lateral and internal stacks. Complex plan. 2 storeys and attic; 10-window range. Gabled cross-wings project either end and just left of centre of long main range, with shallow 2-storey canted bay windows to gable ends of wings. Bays have tripartite sash windows to ground and 1st floors with stone lintels, keyblocks and hood moulds. 3-window section of main range between left and middle cross-wings has central gabled stone porch with moulded Tudor-arched head, hood mould and C20 door; carved stone head to gable of porch. Narrow rectangular 1-light windows to this section of main range with stone lintels, one and 2-light casement windows to section between middle and right cross-wings with stone lintels and keyblocks; all have hood moulds. Inner right side of left cross-wing has blocked window to ground floor and 3-light leaded casement window to 1st floor, both with wood lintels. C20 hipped dormer window to right of middle cross-wing. Stack at left end of main range has stone base. C18 brick plinth to flue. All stacks have terracotta chimneypots. Overhanging eaves. Garden elevation to rear has similar composition and irregular glazing of sash and casement windows. Space between middle and rear right cross-wings is filled by twin-gabled single-storey extension with valley. C20 part-glazed garden door to left of centre and row of tall gabled dormer windows, lighting nursery, to main range behind extension. Attached walls of coursed limestone rubble are capped with plain-tile slopes with brick coping to ridge and flank garden to rear and enclose forecourt, which has timber double-leaf gates. Interior: ogee stop-chamfered spine beams to ground and 1st floor and ogee-stop-chamfered cross beams to C17 core. Stone fireplace in hall with cambered head and keyblock. Other C18 and early C19 stone and marble chimneypieces probably brought-in C20. Main staircase has C17 style turned balusters and probably dates from c.1935. Fine panelled stair to nursery. 5-light ovolo-moulded wood mullion window, now internal, lights corridor. Stone cellar. Roof of middle cross-wing and to section of main range between middle and right cross-wings has stop-chamfered principal rafters and wind-braced purlins probably early C17. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: 1973, p370)

{2} The Manor House at Passenham looks C17th, and has Georgian alterations. By the house are two barns, one C16th, the other 1626

{4} Some of the roof timbers in the present Manor House present evidence of having been part of a medieval house. They have obviously been reassembled in their present position and it is not possible to say whether they are from a building on this or another site. The Manor House was erected by Sir Robert Banastre, Comptroller of the Royal Household to James I from 1626. The work had apparently been completed by the time of his death in 1646. The Manor House is a complex building which has been extended and reorganised many times.
The house was extended to the south east in the 18th century with a cross wing, and to the north west in the 19th century, with a further cross wing. Both cross wings probably replaced 17th century ends. The building was further remodelled by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1935 for George Aynsley providing a new stair and children’s nursery, at which time it was reroofed.
The 17th century core building incorporated part of the roof structure of what appears to be a medieval building which had an open hall.
Built of coursed rubble limestone, with plain red tiled roofs. The building now consists of a long N-S range, with three cross wings protecting to front and rear, all two storey with attics. The front door is in a gabled porch symmetrically placed between the two more southerly wings. Various other extensions to the rear providing washroom etc.
Source contains detailed building description, plans and photos.

{5} There is confusion over the location of the post-medieval manor house. There are two substantial houses with possible C17th remains (one to either side of the church). Evidence from Bridges County History (information 1718-1724) suggests the current parsonage to the south of the church: "The parsonage house was the antient seat of the Banastres". However the present manor house to the north of the church was preferred by Baker in 1836: "The manor house stood to the north of the church, and part is still remaining in a dilapidated state".

{6} Late medieval bricks were found by the owner during alterations to the kitchen of Passenham Manor House in 1987, including a number of shaped bricks such as sections of mullion and cusping. The author supposes that a new dwelling house may have been built at Passenham by the Cope family in the late 15th/early 16th century. The Cope family acquired Canons Ashby in 1538 where they also built in brick; potentially the new house at Passenham was demolished and some of the brick was re-used at Canons Ashby- certainly by 1540 the manor of Passenham had been reduced to a site.

{7} Undated photo, also two photos dated 29.10.1993;

{8} Not outstanding

{9} (SP 77923945) Manor House (LB)

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 19+20/81 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F11 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.370 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Woodfield P., 2005, The Whittlewood Project: Historic Buildings Survey, Passenham with Old Stratford, (checked) (Report). SNN105033.

<5> Parry S., 1996, An Archaeological Evaluation at Manor Nurseries, Passenham, (checked) (Report). SNN4098.

<6> Woodfield, P, 1989, An early brick from Passenham, Northants (Report). SNN112079.

<7> Photographs of buildings in Old Stratford (Photographs). SNN112954.

<8> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, 27/OCT (Note). SNN111452.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1955, 1950s/60s Ordnance Survey 6 Inch Mapping Series (SP44NE) (Map). SNN61128.

<10> Woodfield, P, 2003, The Whittlewood Project: Phase 1 rapid survey of all buildings within the 12 parishes of the survey, identifying buildings that have, or are likely to have, fabric dating from before 1700 (Report). SNN116636.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2024 4:12PM