St Johns Manor House

BATTISFORD CHURCH ROAD TM 05 SW

5/2 St. John's Manor House -

• II

Farmhouse, c.1570 with alterations principally of mid C19. Possibly for Dame Anne, wife of Sir Thomas Gresham, Lord of the Battisford and St. John's Manors and the founder of the Royal Exchange. Of cross-passage entrance plan, and of 3 conventional cells apart from the inclusion of a kitchen to the north, and a small earlier rear service wing. 2 storeys and attics. Timber-framed, mainly encased in mid C19 gault brick, but with plasterwork at rear and side. Plaintiled roof with two axial chimneys of red brick; the one to right has a C17 sawtooth shaft; there was formerly at the base a terracotta panel bearing the Arms of Sir Richard Russell, Master of the Preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers here in c.1530. Mid C19 windows with flat arches of gauged brick; sashes with large panes. 4-panelled C19 entrance door with oblong fanlight at cross-entry position. In the hall are exposed moulded beams and joists of c.1570, and a C17 lintelled open fireplace. Good close-studding. Wind-braced butt purlin roof with many rafters reused from a large open hall of late C13 or early C14: massive well-cut rafters with mortices for collars and one pair trenched for the ends of passing-braces. Other terracotta panels in the cellar are probably reset from a feature in brickwork of c.1530 (see above). The house is built upon the moated site of the Preceptory of the Knights Hopsitallers founded here in c.1154 and dissolved in 1540. Chancery Proceedings, temp. Elizabeth I, relate to payment for "repairs" to this house, which appears in fact to have been virtually rebuilt (apart from the small wing of early C16 referred to above), for Dame Anne Gresham.

Listing NGR: TM0464354189