Sheat Manor

Sheat Manor is an early 17th-century manor house built by the Urry family. It is constructed of greensand coursed stone rubble with ashlar quoins, a hipped slate roof, and end brick chimneystacks. The house has a half H-shaped plan, extending over two storeys and attics, with a seven-window front. The south front features a central two-storey section and projecting gabled ends of two storeys and attics, with stone coping and kneelers. The gables have five stone mullioned windows and two further blocked windows on their sides, with drip moulding over the attic windows. Bands of stone are stepped up over the ground and first floors to create a dripmoulding effect. A deep stone plinth is present. A central, projecting one-storey porch has a crenellated parapet, containing a round-headed archway with a keystone and impost blocks. The inner doorway is obtusely pointed and has an original four-plank door with studs behind. The north front has six original two- or three-light stone mullioned windows on the first floor and two original stone mullioned windows on the ground floor; the other windows are casements. A central gabled porch is present, with stone coping and a keystone over a round-headed arch. It has an original four-plank door with studs behind. A 18th-century brick lean-to is attached to the right side, while the left side has a 20th-century concrete garage of no particular interest. Two end external chimneystacks are present, with the left one being stone to the base and brick above.

Inside, the hall features an early 17th-century stone four-centred arched fireplace with a fine oak overmantel. The overmantel has three fluted pilasters with human masks – a full face in the centre and profiles on the ends – and strapwork panels between. A frieze with heart motifs is also present, along with oak caryatids on either side of the fireplace. An obtusely pointed stone archway is located to the left of the fireplace, and there are exposed beams and remnants of a door surround with stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops. A partially stone flagged floor is also present. The dining room has a four-centred stone fireplace and oak panelling. A priest hole is reputed to be built into this fireplace, approached by a winding stair from the room above. Sheat Manor is one of the original Domesday manors; it is recorded in 1605 that Sir William Oglander gave Thomas Urry ten oak trees "towards building their new house at Gatcombe."