The Manor House

TL 3108 BAYFORD BAYFORD GREEN (East side)

6/10 No. 6 20.10.52 (The Manor House)

GV II

Manor house. Late medieval, a royal manor granted 1547 to John Knighton (N part of E range) who added before 1583 kitchen block (S end of E range), called Bayford Place by 1613, early C17 W wing, enlarged and brick cased 1655-1662 for John Mayo, became a farmhouse after Sir William baker bought the manor in 1758 and then built Bayfordbury, altered and extended as private house c.1912 for Mrs. Barclay, with new entrance on W. Timber frame encased in red brick of various periods and red tilehanging. Steep old red tile roofs. A large irregular T-shaped building in its own grounds facing E but with entrance now into 1½-storeys and 2-storeys W part with tile-hung gables small-pane casements, transomed ground floor windows and arcaded open timber porch. E front in 3 parts, the middle containing later medieval house with clasped-purlin roof. N part of low single-storey with N gable chimney, one window and door near S end of front. 1½-storeys middle part has internal N gable chimney to large open fireplace of former hall, 3 windows long with gabled dormers rising through the eaves, leaded casements, bargeboards, and red tilehanging above ground floor windows. Canted bay window and half-glazed door with flat hood. S part has massive front-wall projecting chimney, 2-storeys canted bay to RH and gabled dormer on roofslope above. One window on each floor to LH. S end has tilehung gable triangle with bands of serrated and plain tiles. Moulded bargeboards, casement windows, and canted bay-window with French doors. W side of this S end has old narrow red brickwork in English-bond. Interior has exposed timber frame in S end, fine oak staircase c.1660 with closed string, turned balusters, heavy moulded rail, rusticated square newels and openwork pierced finials and pendants, serving 3 floors. C19 main staircase with stick balusters, and wreathed handrail. Panelling in room on 1st floor painted with strapwork decoration. Wall in cupboard near rear door has pump mechanism with large flywheel. Buckler drawing 1848 in HRO shows a large building immediately to W since demolished. (RCHM (1911)49: VCH (1912)420: RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL3120508537