Little Wolford Manor House And Attached Bakehouse And Gateway

Little Wolford Manor House and Attached Bakehouse and Gateway

A substantial manor house of late 15th or early 16th-century date, with significant alterations and additions from the 16th, 17th and early 20th centuries. The building is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with some ashlar to the earliest sections, with a chamfered plinth and quoins, and a stone-slate roof with stone ridge and lateral and end stacks.

The house originally formed a U-shaped plan but the south wing was demolished in the early 19th century, leaving the building now L-shaped. The main range comprises two storeys with nine windows. The 15th-century north range contains the hall and parlour with former service rooms to the west. A 15th-century elliptical-headed doorway with hollow-chamfered surround within a square head and hood mould leads into the screens passage. The original 15th-century door survives, comprising eight traceried panels with moulded muntins and middle rail.

A gabled porch carries a datestone inscribed "IHA/1671" with carved arms of Ingram below. The porch contains an elliptical-headed doorway with double ovolo-moulded surround. To both floors to the left of the porch is a single elliptical-headed hollow-chamfered light. To the right of the porch is a four-light mullioned window with king mullion and elliptical heads, and further right a three-light mullioned window with elliptical heads. Both windows have hood moulds and labels. The first floor contains one three-light and two two-light mullioned windows with elliptical-headed lights (one set in a gabled half-dormer). To the right stands a half-octagonal stair-turret with moulded string course and two irregularly-disposed elliptical-headed lights. A first-floor doorway originally leading to the demolished south wing is now part-blocked with a two-light window. A 19th-century wall replaces the former wing and contains early 20th-century mullioned windows. Further mullioned windows with elliptical-headed lights appear to the east gable end and rear. A 15th-century elliptical-headed doorway with moulded surround occupies the east gable end. A sundial appears to the first floor. The rear elevation includes a lateral stack projection with gabled head and a late 17th-century two-storey gabled range with mullioned windows.

The 16th-century west wing appears to be of two periods, with the range to the left possibly later. To the right is a timber-framed jetty with close studding, rail and moulded bressumer, and jettied gable. Both jetties display five-light oriel windows with moulded mullions and transoms. A 17th-century canted bay with elliptical-headed lights occupies the ground-floor right. The rear of the 16th-century range contains two three-light mullioned windows, the first-floor example having a wider central light. A rounded projection with moulded square-headed light and a further hollow-chamfered light above also appears at the rear. To the west stands an early 20th-century two-storey stone gabled range containing one 15th-century two-light window with traceried head positioned above a doorway.

A 17th-century former bakehouse and cottage of two storeys is attached to the south of the 16th-century range via a 20th-century two-storey infill. It features mullioned windows with hollow-chamfered surrounds, a four-centred doorway to the right, and a large lateral stack with bread oven projection to the rear. A restored stone gateway with moulded surround and original fringes and renewed semi-circular head is attached to the south of the cottage.

Interior

The interior contains a 15th-century timber screen with heavily moulded plinth and bressumer, and moulded muntins and middle rail, with an arched-head doorway featuring carved spandrels. The north wall of the hall contains two large stone fireplaces with four-centred heads and moulded surrounds. A 17th-century carved overmantel displays the carved arms of the Ingram family. 17th-century panelling is present, and a 15th-century two-light wood window imported from Bideford in Devon was installed in the early 20th century. Stained heraldic glass appears in the south windows, one piece dated 1557. Stone-flagged floors and a 19th-century timber roof are present. The stair-turret doorway to the south is elliptical-headed with hollow moulded surround, with an original plank door featuring moulded muntins and rails. A stone newel staircase rises to the first floor. The parlour to the east contains a 16th-century fireplace with stucco overmantel imported from Bideford. The dining room (the former service room) contains a large spine beam and heavy joists, repainted in the early 20th century, and a large open fireplace with chamfered timber bressumer. Chamfered cross beams with stepped stops appear in the 16th wing. The first floor above the former service room displays a part-exposed queen-post roof. A first-floor room above the 16th-century range contains an 18th-century panelled dado rail and a stone fireplace with four-centred head and hollow-moulded surround. Original 16th-century panelling extends to dado-rail height.

History

Little Wolford Manor was the seat of the Ingram family from the 16th to 18th centuries. It later became Manor Farm until it was purchased and restored by Sir Robert Hilton in the early 20th century.