Swinford Manor

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 9 December 2022 to amend the name and address, and reformat the text to current standards

TQ 94 SE 15/13

HOTHFIELD GODINTON LANE Swinford Manor

(Formerly listed as SWINFORD Swinford Manor School)

II*

The centre portion is a late C15 to early C16 Wealden hall-house of two bays, which was a Dower House of Godinton. Timber-framed, refaced with red brick on the ground floor and tile-hung above. The first floor of its end window bays originally oversailed but has been underbuilt. The eaves between overhang on massive curved braces and a central bracket. Steeply-pitched hipped tiled roof with three gabled dormers. Casement windows. C19 porch with shaped Dutch gable containing a cartouche of the Toke family, formerly of Godinton.

The interior contains a moulded beam at the solar end of the hall and dragon beam. At the south end is a portion added in 1884 and at the north end a portion added in 1901. The east front also dates from the C19. This is faced with ashlar with five shaped Dutch gables; the window bay of the north gable projecting, of the south one deeply recessed and of the centre one projecting with a porch on the ground floor, seven windows.

Alfred Austin (1835-1913), who was Poet Laureate from 1896-1913, rented the house from the Toke family and occupied it from 1867 until his death on the 2nd June 1913. Several of his works refer to the house, particularly the prose work "The Garden that I Love" published in 1894.

Listing NGR: TQ9759643680