Building record 1523/1 - Tansor Grange Farmhouse

Tansor Grange Farmhouse, formerly known as Rectory Farm, is a three bay house built during the 19th century. It is constructed of stone and originally with main east and west elevations in brick. The main roof is hipped and covered in slate with a chimney at either end. The present farm had by 1900 replaced a much smaller building which may have originally been small cottages.

{1} Tansor parish was enclosed in 1778, and there was no recorded evidence of buildings at the time of enclosure. Although it is not shown on an 1830 map of the parish an acompanying valuation does record the farm and its buildings, described as Farm house, buildings, yard, garden and land. Based upon these two pieces of information it is likely that Tansor Grange is an 'enclosure farm', built specifically on a virgin site following parish enclosure.

{2} The Ashton Estate stretches from the River Nene near Oundle in the west to Ashton Wold in the east, with some outlying farms and cottages, of which Tansor Grange Farmhouse is one. The estate was purchased by Lionel Rothschild in 1860. Both Lionel Rothschild and his son Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915), showed little interest in estate, and the family only became actively involved in its management when Lord Rothschild's second son, Nathaniel Charles (1877-1923) - known as Charles - was so impressed by the rich fauna and flora of Ashton Wold that he persuaded his father to build him a house on the site of a late 19th century hunting lodge. In 1900 Lord Rothschild commissioned William Huckvale to design not only a house, but a model farm, an entire complement of estate buildings, while most of the cottages at nearby Ashton were rebuilt to create a model village. These buildings are characterised by high quality design and workmanship which employs traditional vernacular building traditions and materials, including Collyweston stone slate and thatch roof coverings, steeply pitched roofs, tall chimneys, limestone masonry walling and dressings and mullioned windows.

Tansor Grange Farmhouse was built in the late 19th century, and therefore does not form part of the Rothschilds' 1900 development of the estate. Historic OS maps show that the present farmhouse (then called Rectory Farm) had by 1900 replaced a much smaller building, divided into two. These were possibly tiny cottages, and occupied what is now the front garden. The farm buildings, around a yard to the north-east of the house, were also added to at that time.

Tansor Grange Farmhouse is a three bay house, built of stone and originally with main east and west elevations in brick; to the east a narrow band of brickwork can be seen above the lean-to roof where it joins this wall. The main roof is hipped and covered in slate, with a chimney at either end. The symmetrical west elevation has three windows to the first floor and two windows and a central door with porch to the ground floor. All these windows are four paned sashes with segmental arches over. The three original windows to the east, now inverted dormers, have been replaced with casements to match those in the stone built lean-to extension. The interior was not seen.

Tansor Grange Farmhouse is not recommended for listing because its architecture is of a standard type and there have been a number of extentions and alterations. It was not built as part of the development of Lord Rothchild's estate , and does not share the quality of design and craftsmanship of other listed buildings that form part of the Ashton Estate.

<1> Archaeological building recording services, 2015, An archaeological standing building survey: Tansor Grange , Tansor, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN110063.

<2> ENGISH HERITAGE, English Heritage Listing File, Heritage Protection Adviser, 15th October 2009 (Report). SNN111579.

Record last edited

Feb 5 2025 7:36PM