Listed Building record MDO10580 - Meerhay Manor, Beaminster

Sixteenth century Manor farmhouse, rebuilt circa 1610. North west wing added later in the seventeenth century. Rubble stone and ashlar walls, thatch roof with stone gable-copings. 3 brick stacks to south east elevation, at left hand gable, right of centre, right hand gable. 2 and 1 1/2 storeys (at right hand).

Meerhay Farm <3> or Meerhay Manor <2> is a two-storeyed house with attics, built of ashlar and rubble with a thatched roof. It belonged to the Hillary family, and was rebuilt about 1610 - a room on the NE retains several early 17th century panes of painted glass, including one bearing the initials HH and the date 1610.

The NW wing was added later in the 17th century, making the plan T-shaped. The house retains a number of stone-mullioned windows with labels; there is an original doorway on the NW with moulded jambs and a square head, and a doorway on the SE has moulded jambs and a four-centred arch in a square head.

Internally the doorways to the former screens passage remain, with four-centred heads, and in the parlour, formerly the hall, is a stone fireplace with cambered head, and on one side a stone newel stair.

According to Hutchins some of the old painted glass was used to glaze Mapperton church.

Now known as Meerhay Manor; a well-preserved stone built house with thatched roof, no longer used as a farmhouse.

The majority of windows are of 17th century type with mullions and dripstones. Only one main period of building could be traced and the house has an overall appearance of mellowed age undisturbed by modernisation. <4>

Meerhay Manor, C16th rebuilt circa 1610. <5>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1904 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 48520264) Lower Meerhay Fm formerly (NAT) Mansion House (NR)

<2> DOE (HRR), 1950, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Beaminster Rural District 1950, 9 (Scheduling record). SDO17358.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 26 (Monograph). SDO97.

'The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys; the walls are of rubble and the roofs are thatched or covered with modern materials. Some of the buildings have exposed ceiling-beams and original fireplaces. ... (50) Meerhay Farm, house 370 yards N.E. of (49), is of two storeys with attics. It belonged to the family of Hillary and was rebuilt c. 1610 and lengthened at a slightly later date. The N.W. wing was added later in the 17th century, making the plan T-shaped. The N.W. front is ashlar-faced and has an original doorway with moulded jambs and square head; W. of it are two windows of four and six lights respectively with moulded labels; a four-light window remains on the N.E. of the wing; there is also one original window on the first floor. The S.E. elevation (Plate 41) is of coursed rubble and has an original doorway with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head; the original ground-floor windows are of three and four lights with labels and there are some original windows on the first floor; the bay-window is modern. The N.W. wing retains some original stone windows on the S.W. side. Inside the building, the S.W. room of the main block is lined with original plank-partitioning brought from elsewhere in the house. An external doorway retains an old nail-studded door and in the S.W. wall is a stone staircase; the fireplace has moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head. The N.E. room retains three quarries of old glass, one with the initials I.R. and a crown, the second with the initials H.H. and the date 1610 and the third with a rayed rose. The kitchen has an open fireplace with a heavy chamfered lintel. The staircase, of c. 1700, has turned balusters. On the first floor is an original fireplace with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head.'

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 13-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<4.1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1863, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 2, 128 (Monograph). SWX1269.

<4.2> Turner, Mrs, Oral: Mrs Turner (owner occupier), Meerhay Manor, Beaminster (Verbal communication). SDO18789.

<5> Department of the Environment, 1983, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: District of West Dorset, 30 (Scheduling record). SDO16336.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 193013 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 14 2022 2:28PM