Shelford Manor House And Attached Wall And Pier

Shelford Manor House and Attached Wall and Pier

House with attached wall and pier, built on the site of and incorporating masonry from Shelford Priory. Originally constructed around 1600, probably by Robert or John Smythson for the Stanhope family. The building was burnt in 1645, rebuilt around 1678, and further altered in the mid-18th and 19th centuries. Construction comprises ashlar, dressed coursed rubble, some red brick and render, with a hipped plain tile roof.

The mid-18th century ashlar entrance front faces south and measures two and a half storeys across three bays. It sits on a moulded plinth with shallow clasping buttresses and features two red brick stacks to the left. The central doorway contains a part-glazed door with overlight. A 19th-century open gabled porch of glass, wood and plain tile is set on an ashlar plinth. Either side are single glazing bar sashes with flush wedge lintels. Above these, a single central oeil de boeuf window is flanked by single glazing bar sashes in moulded surrounds. The top floor contains two ashlar mullion glazing bar casements.

The north side extends five bays and includes a cellar with a single red brick stack. A 17th-century moulded blocked archway with imposts, keyblock and panelled spandrels is prominent. To its right is a single glazing bar sash with keystone. The two bays to the right have been re-fronted, project slightly, and are individually hipped with brick dentil eaves. A heavy first floor band extends from this section across to the left bay of the south front.

The cellar on this side contains two two-light ashlar mullion openings with flush ashlar quoin surrounds (the left opening lacks its mullion), and above are two three-light ashlar cross casements. The single bay to the right is set back with no cellar openings. Above it is a single two-light casement in a flush ashlar quoin surround with moulded dripmould. The projecting bays to the right contain two tripartite ashlar mullion casements (the right one blocked), both with flush ashlar quoin surrounds extending to the openings above. The first and second floor openings, probably originally larger, are single openings traversing both floors; to the right is a single two-light ashlar mullion casement, with above it a single small tripartite ashlar mullion casement. To the right is a single blocked window, both with flush ashlar quoin surrounds. On the far right is a single two-light ashlar mullion casement.

Projecting from the right bay is a brick wall set on a plinth. This wall features a segmental arched doorway with plank door and extends approximately 26 metres, terminating in a single vermiculated rusticated ashlar pier with ashlar coping.

The south front comprises six bays and is partly rendered. It contains a single blocked archway similar to that on the north front. These two archways may originally have interconnected.

The interior contains a ground floor fireplace from around 1600, executed in large ashlar with frieze and cabled fluting, and a cornice above. A similar but smaller fireplace appears on the top floor. A back staircase retains some early 18th-century turned balusters.

Historical context: Shelford Priory was an Augustinian priory founded around 1160–80. The house built on this site served as a garrison for the King during the Civil Wars and was burnt down in 1645 when the Parliamentarians took it. Around 1678 the Stanhope family rebuilt it partly from the ruins. The house was subsequently reduced in size and eventually vacated by the Stanhopes.