The Manor House

The Manor House is a late 17th-century manor house, located in Fenstanton. It was the home of Lancelot (Capability) Brown, Lord of the Manor of Fenstanton. The house is of L-plan form, with an outshut in the angle between the two ranges. It has two storeys. The walls are of rendered local red brick to eaves height, with plain tile roofs, shaped parapet gables, kneelers, and end stacks. There are rusticated quoins. A central, projecting two-storey porch has a hipped plain tile roof. A band runs between the floors. The first floor has a four-window range of hung sashes with glazing bars, set in flat-headed arches. The ground floor has two large 19th-century sash windows. A segmental headed arch sits above the door in the porch, which contains a sash window with glazing bars. The original double-plank door is enriched with carved and shaped battens and has strap hinges with incised geometric decoration and fleur-de-lys finials. Inside, the original plan includes a parlour, hall, and cross passage, along with a rear kitchen and staircase, although these have been altered by 18th-century partitions, chimney pieces, and doors. The two flights of the original closed string staircase have carved newels, string, and some flat, shaped balusters. The hall and first-floor rooms have stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops. A restored kitchen hearth has a recently inserted bog oak mantel beam, and a fire plaque is above the door.