Listed Building record MDO17292 - The Manor House, formerly The Grange, Chaldon Herring

House. C16 origin, partly remodelled in C18, altered and enlarged in C19. Stone walls. Lower slopes of roof stone slated, upper slopes tiled.

Belonged to Bindon Abbey, being granted to Sir Thomas Poynings at the Dissolution. Here was a small chapel, the remains of which have been converted into a dwelling-house. <1>

The present building which is of stone dates from the mid-eighteenth century, and incorporates fragments of an earlier house, small pieces of mullion and transom being used as facing stones. The house is of single room depth (see ground photograph). Within, a stone spiral staircase exists, reputed to be early 13th century. There are no traces of a chapel. In the garden wall at SY 79078311, is a stone arch, once used as an entrance way. This arch has been brought from elsewhere and is not quite complete. See ground photograph. Major Welstead stated that many cut stones had been dug up in the garden, as well as stone drains. A number of large blocks with carved moulding of an ecclesiastical nature were seen in the garden during field investigation. Unless much of the adjacent parish church has found its way into "The Manor House" garden (and the parish church has been extensively altered) it seems, from the staircase which is 2 storied, and the pieces of stonework lying about, that "The Grange" was considerably larger than a chapel. Possibly a monastic farm of some size. <3>

Now 'The Manor House', the name changed by a former occupier many years ago. <3.1>

The Grange is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of squared andcoursed rubble and the roofs mostly of stone slates but with tiles above the level of the dormer windows. It was built in the late 16th century, drastically altered in the early 18th century and renovated and enlarged in the 19th century. Few features of the 16th-century house remain, the circular stone staircase being the most important. Full architectural description. In the garden wall east of the house is a reset late 16th-century stone archway, now blocked. <6>

Welstead, Major, 1952, Oral: Major Welstead (occupier), The Grange, Chaldon Herring (Verbal communication). SDO19947.

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1861, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 1, 343 (Monograph). SWX4496.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 79048309) The Grange (NR)

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 05-SEP-52 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 05-SEP-52 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 79048309) Manor House formerly (NAT) The Grange (NR)

<6> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 34-35 (Monograph). SDO148.

'(3) The Grange (30 yds. E.S.E.) is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of squared and coursed rubble and the roofs mostly of stone slates but with tiles above the level of the dormer windows. It was built in the late 16th century, drastically altered in the early 18th century and renovated and enlarged in the 19th century. Few features of the 16th-century house remain, the circular stone staircase being the most important.

The external doorway to the stone staircase has a square head and chamfered jambs with simple vase stops, and the lower S. window has a hollow-chamfered stone surround. E. of the staircase is a blocked ground-floor window with a label and above it another window without a label.

The late 16th-century plan by inference comprised a hall, with probably the parlour to the E. and the kitchen to the W. The hall, which had the stone staircase S. of the upper end, was entered from a passage at the W. end, the front doorway then being in much the same position as the present doorway. In the early 18th century, perhaps after a fire, the N. front wall was rebuilt with symmetrical fenestration, the ground-floor ceilings raised, a large well-staircase added and the whole building heightened; the present hipped roof and hipped dormer windows are of this date. It is remarkable that the 16th-century moulded jambs were reused in the 18th-century windows, of quite different proportions, with the addition of keystones. The other internal fittings that have survived the 19th-century renovations include the well-staircase with close strings, turned balusters and newels, some with pendants, and moulded handrail, and the panelled casings to arched openings through the cross walls on the first floor, all of the 18th century.

In the garden wall E. of the house is a reset late 16th-century stone archway, now blocked, with semicircular moulded head, moulded imposts and jambs.'

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F67/7 (Index). SDO14738.

ARCHWAY FROM WEST

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F67/8 (Index). SDO14738.

PRESENT HOUSE FROM NORTH

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454140 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 7 2023 3:14PM