The Manor House

THE MANOR HOUSE

A hall house with attached chapel, now converted to domestic use, located on Church Lane in Costock. The main building dates to the late 15th century with substantial alterations and additions from the late 17th century onwards through to the 20th century.

The structure is built of coursed rubble with ashlar dressings and red brick, beneath slate roofs. The front elevation is distinguished by a central section of three bays, two storeys tall, flanked by outer single bays which are two storeys plus a garret, both gabled. The outer bays have large external left rubble stacks with some brick patching and brick shafts, while single ridge and rear right red brick stacks serve the central section.

The ground floor features a central lean-to porch with glazed double doors flanked by fixed lights. To either side are single 18th-century glazing bar sashes with drip moulds. Further left is a single 20th-century five-light casement, and to the right is a similar four-light casement, both with drip moulds. The first floor carries four 18th-century glazing bar sashes, with drip moulds to the outer pair. The top floor has two 16th-century two-light ashlar mullion casements, both with drip moulds.

To the right of the main house, set back slightly, is a 19th-century single-storey wing of painted brick with an ashlar coped parapet and rear red brick stack. This contains a single three-light 20th-century casement.

Further right, projecting from the main block, stands the former chapel, a 19th-century two-storey single-bay structure of red brick with some rubble. It features a crow-stepped ashlar coped gable with a single ridge finial and panelled clasping pilasters of two stages with bands and finials, plus a first-floor band. The principal elevation contains a single central early 19th-century reused rose light. Above this is a single tripartite casement with a Tudor arched panel over featuring herringbone brick nogging.

The left gable wall of the 15th-century build displays a single-light window to the right of the stack and, to its left, a single two-light ashlar mullion casement, all with drip moulds. Above left is a similar two-light casement, and further left a similar single-light casement.

The rear or entrance front comprises five bays. The outer four bays project and are each two storeys plus garret and gabled, with the second bays from right and left slightly narrower, and the second left marginally lower. A central lean-to 20th-century porch with 20th-century double doors and marginal and over lights provides access. To the right of the porch is a two-light ashlar mullion casement and a four-light similar window. On the far right, to the left, stands a moulded Tudor arched former doorway now containing a similarly arched 19th-century casement with decorative glazing bars. On the far left is a four-light ashlar mullion casement. The first floor above contains a central smaller four-light casement, with two three-light similar casements to the left and to the right a small single-light casement and a three-light similar casement. The garrets of the inner bays have small similar casements, whilst the outer bays have two-light similar casements. All openings except the 20th-century examples and the garret of the second left bay feature drip moulds. All drip moulds are 16th-century with roll and fillet moulding, and all ashlar casements are 16th-century work.

The interior retains significant historical features. A floor was inserted in the hall in the late 16th century. The first floor includes a 16th-century stud partition extending the length of the hall, with further stud partitions to the bedrooms. Several 17th-century plank doors and many 18th-century panelled doors survive. The main mast newel staircase features later early 19th-century foliate and decorative fret panelling to the wall and is entered through an 18th-century reeded archway. The roof contains several curved wind braces and evidence of a former smoke hole. A lintel of a former window that once lit the hall is said to be incorporated in the garden front wall above the inserted floor.

According to White's Directory of Nottinghamshire, the Manor was given to Bagnall-Wild by Elizabeth I.