Listed Building record MDO14470 - The Manor House, Sandford Orcas

(ST 62272101) Manor House (NR). (1)

"Manor House". A 2-storey stone building with attics and stone slate roofs built around 1540. The much altered west range may be of rather later date. It was extensively restored in 1873. Now
called "The Manor".
Grade I. (2-4)

As described. See ground photo. (5)

'The Manor' - name confirmed. A fine architectural example of the period; it is well maintained. (6)

<1> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24631 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the gatehouse to Sandford Orcas Manor House, from the south-west

<2> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24630 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the gatehouse to Sandford Orcas Manor House, from the west This print was received by the National Buildings Record in February 1941.

<3> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24629 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the gatehouse to Sandford Orcas Manor House, from the west

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB44/01403 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the gatehouse to Sandford Orcas Manor House, from the west

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB44/01402 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the gatehouse to Sandford Orcas Manor House, from the south-west

<6> DOE (HHR), 1950, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Sherborne Rural District 1950, 30 (Scheduling record). SDO17394.

<7> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West) (Monograph). SDO97.

'(2) THE MANOR HOUSE, S.E. of the church, is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of squared rubble with ashlar facings and dressings of Ham Hill stone; the roofs are covered with stone slates. The house was built, on a somewhat unusual plan, in the first half of the 16th century; it consisted of a main block with a porch on the E., two wings projecting to the W. and a gate-house adjoining the N. side of the N.W. wing. A rectangular range a short distance to the W. may be of rather later date but it has been much altered and is now joined to the main building at each end, forming a small central courtyard. The house belonged to the Knoyle family in the 16th and 17th centuries, but the alliance with Fry represented by the shield on the porch has not been identified. The house passed into the possession of the Hutchings family by purchase in the first half of the 18th century and it was extensively restored by Hubert Hutchings in 1873.
The house is an interesting example of the period.
The E. Front (Plate 157) has a gable at each end surmounted by a monkey holding or formerly holding a shield; the southern gable is a modern restoration; the two-storeyed porch is also gabled and has octagonal angle-shafts with concave faces finished with finials; the outer archway has moulded jambs and four-centred head and above it is a lozenge-shaped panel (Plate 56) with a mutilated achievement of the arms of Knoyle impaling Fry of Iwerne; the upper storey has a three-light window with a label. Below the S. gable of the front is a two-storeyed bay-window of six lights on the face and one on each canted side; the lower window has a transom; the other windows of the front are of two, three and four square-headed lights. The S. End (Plate 157) of the main block has a modern gable and below it a two-storeyed bay window similar to that on the E. front but with eight lights on the face. The S.W. or Solar wing has a plinth continued from the main building; there is a single-light window on the ground floor and one of four lights on the first floor. The W. Front of the main block has a gabled staircase wing adjoining the S.W. wing. The windows have square-headed lights. The N. End has a projecting chimney-stack with a large rectangular shaft and a foliated capping; the upper part of the shaft and capping have been renewed but part of the original capping is preserved in the garden. Some of the windows on this side have been restored.
The Gatehouse (Plate 156) is of two storeys divided by a string-course. The inner and outer archways have moulded jambs and four-centred heads; the outer arch is flanked by small buttresses and above it is a lozenge-shaped panel with foliage-bosses at the angles; above it again is a three-light window; to the S. of the main arch is a doorway with moulded jambs and four-centred head opening into the passage for foot-passengers; the corresponding doorway at the inner end of the passage has chamfered jambs and four-centred head. Projecting from the N. side of the gatehouse is a small gabled garderobe wing. The W. Range, formerly a detached block of outbuildings, is of one storey with attics. Externally it has been completely modernised, except for a doorway with moulded jambs and four-centred head.
Interior: The 16th-century doorway, within the porch, has moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head and is hung with a panelled and nail-studded door; the corresponding doorway at the W. end of the screens has chamfered jambs and four-centred head; in the N. wall adjoining is a doorway to a circular stone staircase and further E. a second doorway, both with moulded jambs and four-centred head. The early 17th-century screen (Plate 51) across the N. end of the Hall, is of five bays, including two doorways, divided by fluted Corinthian pilasters supporting a panelled entablature with pierced pinnacles and strapwork-cresting above; the bays are panelled and there are similar panels above the door-heads. The Hall has a 16th-century stone fireplace with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head; the fireplace is flanked by fluted Ionic pilasters of oak supporting an overmantel of two stages, the lower of four and the upper of five bays; the latter are divided and flanked by terminal figures supporting a carved frieze; the bays have enriched arched panels; the overmantel is of late 16th or early 17th-century materials made up with some modern work. In the S. window is the following heraldic glass—(a and c) fleur-de-lis in a wreath; (b) Henry VIII impaling Anne Boleyn; (d) Knoyle impaling Payne; (e) Knoyle quartering Payne; (f) (e) impaling the quartered arms of Martin of Athelhampton, 16th and 17th-century. To the S.W. of the Hall is a second circular stone staircase. The Dining Room has a fireplace with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head; the late 16th or early 17th-century overmantel is of four bays divided and flanked by fluted pilasters supporting an entablature; the bays are panelled. There is some 17th century panelling on the walls. In the E. window are two glass roundels with a Crucifixion and a figure-subject probably from the Old Testament. On the first floor, the room over the Dining Room is entered from the N. circular staircase by a panelled porch or lobby of c. 1600 with an entablature. The fireplace is modern or much restored; it is flanked by fluted oak columns supporting an overmantel, said to have come from the Joiners' Hall, Salisbury; it is of three bays divided and flanked by Composite pilasters or columns supporting an enriched cornice and the middle bay has a large carved achievement of the Royal Stuart arms (Plate 56); the overmantel has been made up with modern work. On the W. wall is some early 17th-century panelling with an enriched entablature; in the E. window are four roundels of 16th-century German glass with the symbols of the Evangelists; in the N. window is a made-up shield-of-arms. The room over the porch has three pieces of 15th-century glass with (a) a Crucifixion, (b) the initials Ihc and (c) a chalice and wafer. The bedroom over the N. end of the hall has a reconstructed porch or lobby of panelling of c. 1600; on the W. wall is a dado of early 17th-century panelling; in the window are two roundels, one with a hunting scene and one with a shield of a stag's head. The bedroom over the S. end of the hall has a restored porch or lobby of c. 1600 with fluted Ionic pilasters and an entablature; the fireplace has moulded jambs and four-centred head; in the windows are the following pieces of glass—quartered shield of Sir William Kingston, K.G. (d. 1540); heads of a man and woman, German, dated 1531; figure-subject, German, dated 1634; 15th-century roundels with the heads of a bishop, bearded saint and female saint; two shields of the arms of the see of London; shield-of-arms of Urswick; Jacob and the angel, German. A window in the S. circular staircase has the following pieces of glass: two crowned and rayed roses; a knot with the initials A.D.H.; the symbol of St. Matthew; parts of inscriptions; four figure-subjects including Joseph being put in the pit. The top window of the staircase has twenty-two small panels of foreign figure-subjects, one dated 1556. The Solar, in the S.W. wing, has a fireplace with moulded jambs and four-centred head; the dado incorporates some early 16th-century linenfold panels and some early 17th-century panels; the overmantel incorporates 17th-century materials including arched panels and strapwork cartouches. The window has five pieces of glass—(a) head of a crowned female saint, c. 1300; (b) head of a bearded man, c. 1300; (c) country-scene; (d) country-scene, foreign, dated 1702; (e) woman, foreign, dated 1695. In the Gatehouse the room above the gateway has a fireplace with moulded jambs and four-centred head; the early 17th-century overmantel is of three bays with fluted pilasters supporting an entablature; the bays have ornamental panels.’

<8> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 04-JUL-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<9> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 62272101) Manor House (NR)

<10> 1970, Large Scale / Small Scale Map Revisers Comment SS Rev, February 1970 (Unpublished document). SDO17831.

<11> Stone, J W, Field Investigators Comments JWS, F2 JWS 13-JUN-75 (Unpublished document). SDO11902.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 2:50PM