Ailwyn House Upwood House Upwood Manor

Manor House, now three dwellings. The building dates to the mid-17th century, possibly incorporating chimney stacks from an earlier house. An 18th-century dairy and game larder were added to the north, followed by an early 19th-century ballroom extension on the south side. Late 20th-century alterations have been made throughout.

The house is constructed of red brick, later plaster rendered, on a plinth. It has hipped roofs with dentil cornice, plain tiled to the front pitch but graduated Collyweston stone slates to the rear pitch. The rear wall features two projecting side stacks of coursed limestone with red brick to the upper courses and three diagonally set shafts. One stack has stonework repaired with red brick. Each wing has a similar projecting side stack of coursed limestone with red brick work to the upper courses and moulded brick string, with diagonally set shafts.

The plan is half-H, extended on the south side by a ballroom adjoining and parallel to the south wing, and on the north in the 18th century by an addition to the kitchen wing. The building stands two storeys with an attic and two dormers. The principal front is in three bays with a gabled central entry bay approached by three steps and flanked by giant pilasters. In the gable is an oval window. The door and hood date to the 20th century, following removal of a 19th-century conservatory. Each bay has a raised panel to each storey, those at first floor having segmental arches of header brickwork. Fenestration is modern. The wings have giant corner pilasters and similar raised panels to the side and end walls; on the north wing the panels are carried up from the ground floor. Segmental arches appear to the first floor openings. The openings were altered in the south crosswing in the early 19th century when the main entry was made. Some of the hung sashes retain original 19th-century glass. The north wall of the north wing has early 18th-century glazing bars. The first floor shows three bays each with a similar raised panel. A doorway in the same wall retains an original door formed of two layers of boards set at right angles and held with studded nails. The iron door furniture is original and includes strap hinges with cockshead ends. The rear wall has similar architectural treatment with corner pilasters, but the disposition of the two projecting stacks prevented symmetry with the front elevation.

The north wing was extended in the early 18th century. It is brick, painted, and plain tiled with a hipped roof, two storeys, originally blind on the front with an early 18th-century ovolo mullion hung sash in the rear wall.

The early 19th-century ballroom adjoins and runs parallel to the south wing. It is brick, painted, with a hipped slate roof and two storeys. The south wall contains five window bays. Hung sashes appear in raised and moulded surrounds with cornices carried on console brackets at ground floor. The sill has been lowered and a doorway inserted in the centre bay.

Much of the interior of the centre block and south wing has been removed, but a fine circa-1600 fireplace remains in limestone with a pointed arch, narrow cyma, and two square mouldings on a high base with chamfer and stop. Other openings have header arches of red brick. In the attic of the south wing is circa-1770 vertical panelling. A first floor room in the south wing has a fireplace surround in the 18th-century Chinese style. The north crosswing has some exposed stop-chamfered main beams and is cellared. There is an original closed-string staircase with the upper flight retaining original symmetrically turned balusters and early 18th-century balusters to the lower flights. Square newels have carved drops and ball finials to the upper flight. Some dado panelling from the 18th century remains at first floor, along with internal partition walling, raised and fielded panelled doors.

The early 19th-century ballroom contains a smoking room at the east end with a reset circa-1760 fireplace surround and overmantel with egg and dart moulding, shouldered surround, and Chinese-style frieze similar to that still remaining in the first floor room of the south wing. The interior of the ballroom was altered by Terry Farrell circa-1985.

In 1649 the Withams, alias Cromwell, family sold Upwood Manor to Stephen Pheasant, and it is likely that the present house was built by him.