Fitz Manor

Fitz Manor is a house dating from around 1450, enlarged in the 16th century, remodelled probably in the early 18th century, further remodelled in the late 19th century, and extended in the early 20th century. It is timber framed on a dressed red sandstone plinth, with plastered and painted brick infill. Parts are faced with planted timbers and plastered infill, while other parts have been refaced or rebuilt in painted brick, particularly to the rear. The roof is plain tile, hipped to the left.

The timber framing comprises close studding with straight tension braces. The building is E-plan in layout, consisting of a 15th-century three-bay former open hall range with probably later three-bay cross wings. It rises to two storeys and an attic, with a two-storey addition.

The north-west (entrance) front features three brick stacks positioned just in front of the ridge (to centre and to left and right), and a brick lateral stack serving the central rear wing. The front is 14-window, with a hipped projection to the left. The first floor has 18th-century boxed glazing bar sashes, except for a two-light casement to the right. The ground floor has two- and three-light wooden casements with a probably 20th-century flat-roofed canted bay off-centre to the left. The doorway is positioned between the second and third windows from the left. It is an early 18th-century oak door with eight raised and fielded panels and an old lock, with a moulded architrave. The porch is partly 17th-century timber framed, altered probably in the late 19th century with a Tudor archway, planted timbers, and hipped roof; it contains side benches inside. A set-back 19th-century addition to the right has a first-floor two-light casement and ground-floor four-light casement.

The rear elevation has three gabled wings with 19th-century ornamental bargeboards. A 16th-century truss in the central gable features closely-spaced studs, two collars, and V-struts. An early 19th-century infill block in the right-hand angle has a first-floor glazing bar sash. A 19th-century lean-to occupies the left-hand angle. The left-hand gable was remodelled in the late 19th or early 20th century with a full-height flat-roofed bay. A large early 20th-century addition extends to the south-west.

Interior

The interior contains substantial remains of 15th-century and later timber framing, together with good 17th- and 18th-century fixtures and fittings.

The central three-bay hall range features a cross passage widened off-centre to the left. The cross passage itself has two segmental arches to the right, chamfered beams and joists with broach stops, and dado panelling.

The left-hand ground-floor room contains two chamfered beams, an 18th-century moulded cornice, and an 18th-century fireplace with moulded surround. A cupboard to the right has three raised and fielded panels.

The right-hand ground-floor front room retains reordered 17th-century panelling with a fluted frieze. It has a 17th-century fireplace with fluted Ionic pilasters, carved brackets, and panels with carved lozenges. A wall cupboard features a chamfered ogee arch, doors with raised and fielded panels, and shaped shelves.

The staircase hall to the rear contains an 18th-century segmental-arched corner buffet with shelves, frieze, and cornice. The staircase itself is a fine early 18th-century example of one swept shallow U-plan flight with tapered treads, closed string, turned balusters, turned newel posts, and a moulded handrail. The first-floor balustrade has a ramped handrail. The staircase incorporates reordered 17th-century dado panelling. This staircase is very similar to one at Bicton Grove Farmhouse in Bicton, and both were probably made by the same joiner in a form unusual for their date. An old oak newel stair to the left rises to the attic, with an old panelled cupboard on its lower flight.

The central bedroom has 17th-century dado panelling, a 17th-century fireplace, and 18th-century doors with two raised and fielded panels and L-hinges. The left-hand bedroom has a blocked fireplace.

The 15th-century roof to the hall range features three bays with collar and tie-beam trusses, one of which has raking struts from the collar. It has chamfered single purlins and curved wind braces. There is much smoke blackening. The eaves were raised in the 18th century.

The left-hand cross wing's ground-floor front room formerly served as the kitchen. It has a chamfered cross-beamed ceiling with chamfered joists and an open fireplace with a chamfered lintel. The first-floor room has a chamfered jowl post and chamfered joists, together with an 18th-century fireplace with moulded surround. A cupboard door to the left has two raised and fielded panels. The three-bay cross-wing roof was rebuilt in the 18th century. The rear gable features close studding and a collar and tie-beam truss.

The right-hand cross wing's ground-floor rear room has early 18th-century raised and fielded panelling with moulded dado rail and cornice, and doors with six raised and fielded panels. The first-floor rear room retains early 18th-century painted raised and fielded panelling with moulded dado rail and cornice. The fireplace consists of staff-moulded sides and lintel with raised and fielded panels and key, with cupboards in the sides of the chimney breast.

The left-hand bedroom in the hall range also contains reused medieval tiles in its fireplace.

Despite later alterations, this house is of great interest for its medieval core and its fine 17th- and early 18th-century fixtures and fittings, particularly the staircase.