The Manor House

The Manor House is a Grade II* listed manor house located on Middle Street in Thriplow. It dates back to 1563, featuring a carved beam, with 17th century additions and alterations. The house is said to have been restored by James Essex in the late 18th century, with a kitchen addition around 1800 and further alterations in the 20th century. The structure is timber-framed with roughcast panels and has hipped and gabled plain tiled roofs. It includes a red brick chimney stack with four grouped diagonal shafts that have been partly rebuilt, a side stack with grouped shafts on the left-hand rear wing, and a plain square ridge stack on the right-hand rear wing.

The Manor House is two storeys high with attics and features an original continuous jetty with boxed joists. The lobby entry has a 19th century six-panelled door with an insurance fire plaque above. On the ground floor, there are two double-light windows with glazing bars, which are repeated on the first floor with leaded light casements that may date from the 18th century, along with a similar central two-light casement window.

Inside, the house reveals substantial exposed timber framing. The room to the west has main ceiling beams with folded leaf ornamentation, double ogee and aris moulding, and an inscription reading 'ANO DNI 1563 R.E. REGINA 5'. The fireplace has a restored 17th century four-centred arched clunch insertion to an original larger opening. The room to the east features secondary beams with roll and hollow chamfer moulding. A 17th century closed string staircase with turned balusters and a moulded handrail leads to the upper floors. The rear wings contain early 17th century panelling, with the first-floor room to the northwest showcasing late 17th century bolection moulded panelling of two heights, and reset 17th century panelling in the northeast room. There are also some late 17th century two-panelled doors.

Historically, the Manor House stands on the west side of the moated site of Barrinytons Manor. It was owned by Sir Christopher Hatton in 1681 and was sold in 1696 to Dr. Humphrey Gower, the master of St John's College, Cambridge. Up until the mid-18th century, it served as a vacation residence for masters of the college. The house was partly demolished in 1781.