Southall Manor House

Southall Manor House is a late 16th-century timber-framed gentry house, built in 1587 by Francis Awsiter, a City merchant and alderman. The date is carved in a window pediment on the west front. The house has been altered and extended in the 18th century, around 1821, in the late 19th century, and around 1920.

Construction and Materials

The house is timber-framed with 20th-century roughcast infill, standing on a brick plinth. Later extensions are built in brick. The roof is covered with clay tiles.

Plan

The main house is rectangular on a north-south axis, comprising a central two-storey hall with flanking cross wings of unequal width and a projecting staircase compartment attached to the southeast of the hall. To the north, set east-west at a slight angle to the house, is a rectangular two-storey range known as the north wing. This is thought to have been a kitchen lodgings range, possibly originally detached. The two buildings were linked by a narrow two-storey range (the link range) attached to and parallel with the rear of the north cross wing, possibly added slightly later. This plan largely survives, but 19th-century extensions have blurred the external distinction between the two elements. The north wing was extended westwards in the 18th century; this extension was truncated around 1920. All parts have pitched roofs.

Exterior

West (Front) Elevation

The west front has five bays, of which the four southern bays constitute the least-altered elevation of the late 16th-century house. Although some of the framing and windows have been replaced, the carved decoration appears largely original. The timber framing is close-studded with timber mullioned and transomed windows, including bay windows. Carved decoration appears on some windows and framing, principally in the north cross wing.

The north cross wing has a first-floor jetty carried on a moulded bressumer supported by console brackets carved with grotesque heads. Both ground and upper floors have five-light mullioned and transomed bay windows with single lights to the returns, a central console below with carved decoration, and shallow triangular pediments above. The tympanum of the upper window bears the carved date 1587. These are flanked by narrow windows of three or four lights. The gable has a four-light window. The gable head has herringbone framing and a central post carved with various devices.

The central hall block has a full-height canted bay with a gable overhanging the angle of the bay, and a deeper full-height gabled porch. The porch has side windows to the ground floor, a 20th-century Tudor-style door, and a four-light upper window. South of the porch is a small three-light first-floor window.

The south cross wing has a full-height canted bay window and a bracketed gable similar to the hall block, with small two-light flanking windows to the ground floor.

The north bay of this elevation, separated from the house by a narrow 19th-century brick infill block, is the truncated extension to the 16th-century north wing. It was remodelled around 1920 in Tudor style to imitate the main house, with mock timber framing and gabled mullioned windows. The upper gable end of the original north wing is visible above this extension.

North Elevation

The three eastern bays are the north wing of the 16th-century house. The two narrower western bays, separated by a chimney stack, are the later truncated 18th-century extension. All were remodelled in the late 19th century to form an irregular five-bay elevation with cross gables and decorative timber framing added at that time. A nail-studded door with moulded planks and flanking moulded timber windows are early features that may date from the original construction. The end bays are in grey brick with red brick dressings.

East (Rear) Elevation

The rear elevation of the 16th-century house is largely obscured by accretive 19th-century brick extensions of irregular height and depth. From north to south, the elevation comprises five bays: the first is the gabled end of the north wing rebuilt in brick, followed by extensions of three, two, one, and one storeys. The gabled rear wall of the 16th-century house, rebuilt or encased in brick, is partly visible above the extensions, as is the pitched roof of the 16th-century link block. At the south end are two niches containing terracotta relief figures of Hindu deities of unknown date but considered to be of some age.

All external chimney stacks are 19th and 20th century, some with Tudor-style octagonal or diagonal shafts.

Interior

Fittings and decorative detail date from several phases, including some reused panelling on doors.

Main House

The porch has a plaster dentilled cornice, probably 18th century, and twisted baluster-type features to the side windows.

The lower hall has timber wall panelling and moulded and chamfered beams forming a coffered effect, with a chimneypiece on the east wall. Although somewhat restored, these features date from the original construction or soon after. The chimneypiece is flanked by enriched pilasters. The overmantel has five bays divided and flanked by coupled columns on an enriched shelf and supporting an entablature. The middle panel bears the Awsiter coat of arms and strapwork. The initials 'RA' probably refer to Robert Awsiter, father of Francis. A modern partition stands to the right of the fireplace, leading through to the rear stair. Paired doors leading to the north cross wing are probably 19th century.

The ground floor of the north cross wing has moulded and chamfered cross beams. A stone chimneypiece on the north wall with a moulded four-centred arch is probably early 19th century, as is the plaster cornice.

The ground floor of the south cross wing has 16th-century exposed ceiling beams with quasi-Classical decoration, repeated in the cornice to the west window bay. This bay has a moulded chamfered beam. The spaces between beams have late 18th or early 19th-century neo-Classical raised plasterwork. The room was extended on the east side; this part has no features of interest.

The rear stair is in its original position but was rebuilt in the late 19th or early 20th century in neo-Jacobean style with candelabra balusters and obelisk finials to the newels. The stair panelling also dates from this period.

The first-floor room of the south cross wing has a chimneypiece with a moulded stone four-centred arch and wooden overmantel, probably late 18th or early 19th century in imitation of 16th-century style.

Link Range

The ground and first floors have late 18th or early 19th-century stone chimneypieces similar to others described. The 18th-century stair is in its original position but was extended to the attic in the 18th century. It has barley-twist balusters and early 17th-century-style newels with obelisk finials.

North Wing

Ground Floor: The east room, probably the former kitchen area, was remodelled in the late 18th or early 19th century and is now subdivided by modern partitions. A large stone four-centred arch chimneypiece on the east wall has flanking paired moulded pillars, which may be original. There are early to mid-19th-century decorative plaster cornices and an original axial beam.

First Floor: The west bay has a coved ceiling and an axial beam carried on scrolled brackets.

The ground-floor west room, part of the 18th-century extension, has an elegant late 18th-century marble chimneypiece in the Adam manner.

Roofs

The roofs are largely intact throughout and demonstrate that the house and north wing were built in a single construction phase. The roofs to the house and north wing are of the same constructional form in oak, with staggered tenoned purlins, common rafters with straight collars, and raking queen struts linking collars and tie beams. The roof to the link range is elm. The roofs to the link range and north wing retain some lath and plaster partitions.

Historical Context

The house was built in 1587 by Francis Awsiter, who acquired the manor of Southall in 1602. It is thought originally to have been a house called The Wrenns, built in 1500 by John Cannon and acquired by Awsiter in 1587. Awsiter stayed at The Wrenns after acquiring the manor rather than moving to the existing medieval manor house of Southall, Dorman's Well. If so, The Wrenns would appear to have been demolished and rebuilt by Awsiter. It is possible that The Wrenns became known as the Manor House after Dorman's Well was demolished, probably in the late 17th century.

The manor was owned by the Awsiter family until 1756, when the manorial rights were sold to Agatha Child, widow of the banker Francis Child of Osterley Park, although the house itself remained in Awsiter ownership until 1821. Following a succession of owners, it was bought by Southall-Norwood Urban District Council in 1913, and the grounds were opened as a public park. The house was repaired in 1970 and leased to the Southall Chamber of Commerce.

The kitchen lodgings range evolved as a building type from the smaller medieval detached kitchen, continuing to place the kitchen away from the house while providing extra accommodation for family or guests. Although several of these buildings have been recorded in England, Southall Manor House is rare, if not unique, in that both the house and kitchen lodgings range still survive.

Significance

Southall Manor House is a good example of a late 16th-century hall and cross-wing plan house with considerable rarity for the surviving contemporary kitchen lodgings wing. Although it has undergone numerous alterations, the original plan is clearly legible. Most of the roof structure survives, along with a number of 16th-century and later features of interest. It has added rarity as a survival of a 16th-century Middlesex gentry house in an area whose rural character was transformed into dense suburbia within the space of a few decades.