Old Manor House

Old Manor House, 108 High Street, Melbourn

A house dating mainly to the late 17th century with a minor early 18th-century extension at the rear. The front was remodelled in the early 20th century. The building is constructed of timber frame, rendered with simple geometric pattern pargetting, except for the front wall which has early 20th-century roughcast render and sham framing. It is roofed with tiles in a hipped form with paired modillion eaves cornice. A shafted red brick ridge stack sits between the front and rear ranges, with some courses rebuilt. A side stack is also shafted and of red brick. The house comprises two storeys and an attic.

The south-east front has four cross-frame casements at first-floor level with 19th to 20th-century glazing. At ground floor are three 19th-century hung sashes on either side of the doorway, which is an original doorway of two bolection-moulded panels. The wall to the north side of the house displays geometric pargetting and original cross-frame casements with later glazing. At ground floor are two late 17th or early 18th-century original ovolo-mullion hung sashes of eighteen panes and an original doorway opposite the stack leading to a walled garden. In the early 18th century the rear wing of the late 17th-century house was extended. This extension is of timber frame with similar geometric pargetting continued on the walled-garden side, and has a tiled gabled roof with two storeys. There are two original iron casements with contemporary fastenings and stay bars. An adjoining wall to the pleasure garden is of late 17th-century red bricks with gabled coping and is included within the listing.

The interior follows a plan of two rooms flanking a hall with an original kitchen wing at the rear. The hall is paved with limestone flags set diagonally. The open-well staircase off the hall rises through four flights with closed-string construction, large symmetrical twisted balusters, square newels with carved drops, and a moulded rail. Both rooms flanking the hall are panelled. The southern room has circa 1704 bolection-moulded sunk panelling in two heights, a moulded double cornice, and a boxed main beam. Circa 1740 a niche was inserted at the side of the fireplace, featuring shaped shelving and a round arch with key block flanked by narrower pilasters with recessed panels. The mantel over the fireplace is original. The northern room has raised and fielded panelling of circa 1740 in two heights with bolection-moulded dado, double cornice, and boxed main beam. A corner niche features a shell hood, a raised and moulded key block to a round-headed arch, and shaped shelving. The fireplace surround here is modern. A contemporary two-panelled door leads to a lobby, and an original doorway opens to the walled garden. The rear wing, formerly the kitchen, contains an inglenook fireplace and a stop-chamfered main beam. At first-floor level are a number of original two-panelled doors with contemporary H and L-hinges. One room has bolection-moulded panelling, moulded cornice, and boxed main beam. The framing is mostly concealed, but the main posts have plain, unjowled heads typical of the late 17th century. The roof is of clasped side purlin construction. The house is cellared.

The house was probably built by the Hitch family, tenants of Lord Alington, the Lord of the combined Argentines and Trayles manors. Dame Mary Hatton, wife of Sir John Hatton (died 1740), is believed to have retired here.