The Old Manor House

TL 3668-3768 SWAVESEY STATION ROAD (South West Side)

14/122 No. 80 (The Old Manor 31.8.62 House)

GV I

Manor house. Late medieval, early C17 with C19 alterations. Timber framed and plastered, C17 red brick, and C19 gault brick; plain tile roofs. Two storeys; two late medieval crosswings with central hall range rebuilt early C17. Wings extended to rear forming open courtyard with galleries of two storeys added to two sides. West facade. Main entrance in cross passage position through late C19 gabled porch flanked by two canted bay windows, one three-light casement window to north. Three first floor three-light transomed casement windows include one original late C17 or early C18 window. Ridge stack to south crosswing with two octagonal shafts, large C17 side stack to north crosswing, and rear stack to hall. Gallery in rear elevation with almost continuous lights with ovolo mullions and transomes separated by three red brick buttresses. Interior details include very fine closed string staircase with turned balusters and carved finials, half balusters and rail follow rake of stair. Coved ceiling above staircase with drop pendant, two other coved ceilings. Three C17 chimney pieces one with carved figures and painted panels. Panelling in several rooms, complete in south-west bedroom with porched entrance and closet door; panelled hall screen moved when passage was widened later in C17. Roofs, C17 with side purlins, and rafters and collars of original crown post roof. The manor was purchased in 1549 by the 4th Sir John Cutts (1525-1554), of Horham Hall, Essex; his son, 5th Sir John Cutts of Childerly Hall Cambridge 'built a very pretty retyring house there', (Swavesey) (Cole). The manor was called Bennets, and was sold by the Cutts family in 1718 to Mr Bacon. Layer and Cole. MSS, CRO Ravensdale J.R. History on Your Doorstep BBC 1982 Scott P. Swavesey Church and Village c.c. 1982 Cambridge Family History Soc. Vol.I No.1 p.90 1977

Listing NGR: TL3636569334