Building record 3272/8/1 - No.7 Dychurch Lane (Manor Farmhouse)

Farmhouse. Mid C17 and C19. Regular coursed limestone with original plain-tile roof.

{1} Farmhouse. Mid C17 and C19. Regular coursed limestone with original plain-tile roof. Originally 4-unit plan. 2 storeys. 6-window range of C19 casements under wood lintels. Two C19 panelled doors under wood lintels between window ranges. Brick and stone stacks at ends. Fire insurance plaque to right. Rear has large lateral projecting stack and C19 kitchen extension. Interior has open fireplace with bressumer, spine beams, some panelled window reveals and an early C19 staircase with stick balustrade.

{3} The Inclosure map depicts Manor Farm, but at a very small scale, and unmarked. The farmhouse is recognisable and its main north-south range appears to have extended further south than its current footprint.

{4} Undated photo.

{5} Archaeological building recording survey was undertaken during restoration works. These entailed the replacement of the roof coverings and the rebuilding of the south chimney, as well as minor interior repairs. The roof timbers were shown to be largely hand worked with a large number of 19th-century replacements. There was a 20th-century membrane beneath the clay tiles.
Examination of the chimney stack showed that the lime pointing in the bricks had failed due to weathering, and that limestone blocks beneath the brickwork had been cement rendered in the modern period, protecting the stone from the weather but causing damage due to the unsympathetic material.

{7} In February 2023 KDK Archaeology Ltd carried out a Historic Building Recording of an outbuilding at Manor Farm, 7 Dychurch Lane, Bozeat. Cartographic evidence indicates the outbuilding at Manor Farm dates to between 1799 and 1885 and the architectural features, whilst not overly distinct, would not disagree with this 19th century date. It is likely that its construction coincided with the 19th century renovations and the construction of the kitchen wing to the main farmhouse. Its function appears to have been mixed, serving partially as an outdoor lavatory and storage shed. Room 1, which comprises the whole eastern bay, was originally open fronted and probably housed machinery or vehicles of one kind or another. That it also appears to have provided a stable or feeding area at some point is suggested by the feed trough. The lath and plaster walls and ceilings in Rooms 2 and 3 appear to have been original features, as are the primary components of the roof structure such as the central truss and purlins. The modest carpenters’ marks are interesting details on a building otherwise devoid of particularly significant features of architectural interest. Based on the cartographic evidence, previous examinations of the main house, and the clear intention in creating a courtyard using garden walls that blend seamlessly with the fabric of this building, it is evident that the construction of the outbuilding was but a part of a larger 19th re working of the house and its immediate environs. The walls also connect to the kitchen range, itself a 19th century addition, and serve to create small service yard. This would have been useful for keeping stores of wood, as well as small livestock, and would have allowed to Manor Farms to keep up with the developing needs of the era.

Crank, N. (Editor), 2024, South Midlands Archaeology (54), P. 56 (Journal). SNN116886.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 24/6 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1986, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G05 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100394.

<3> 1799, Bozeat Inclosure Map (NRO Map 2839), (unchecked) (Map). SNN293.

<4> Photographs of buildings in Bozeat (Photographs). SNN111675.

<5> Martin-Taylor, M, 2022, Historic Building Recording and Historic Building Watching Brief: Manor Farm, 7 Dychurch Lane, Bozeat, Northamptonshire, https://doi.org/10.5284/1117874 (Report). SNN113381.

<6> Crank, N. (Editor), 2024, South Midlands Archaeology (54), P.56 (Journal). SNN116886.

<7> Derek Watson and Chris Martin-Taylor, 2023, Historic Building Recording: Manor Farm, 7 Dychurch Lane, Bozeat, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN117042.

Record last edited

Apr 9 2026 11:23AM