Finstock Manor House

FINSTOCK WITNEY ROAD SP3616 (North-west side) 17/53 Finstock Manor House 27/08/57 (Formerly listed as Manor Farm House)

GV II*

Manor house. Dated 1660. Early and mid-C20 alterations and additions. Squared and coursed limestone with ashlar dressings, coursed rubble to sides and rear. Stone slate roof. L-plan. Two storeys and attic. Chamfered quoins, continuous hoodmoulds to ground and first floors, and parapeted gables with moulded copings. Integral dressed stone end stack to left with chamfered offset to 2 square shafts with frieze and moulded cornice, dressed stone ridge stack off-centre to right (possibly rebuilt) with chamfered offset to rectangular shaft with moulded coping, and large integral stone end stack to rear wing with weathering, chamfered offset and moulded cornice. Three large gabled full dormers with globe finials at feet and apices and oval stone windows with panelled spandrels, hoodmoulds and square-leaded glazing with central square casements. Three bays, 3-light hollow-chamfered mullioned stone windows with square-leaded lights in metal casements (left-hand ground-floor window is probably a late C19 or C20 restoration). Central doorway with moulded jambs and depressed-arched head with impost blocks, panelled spandrels and outer square moulding; C20 small-paned glazed door. Moulded recessed square datestone above central attic window: "IM/1660", Copper fire insurance plate above door. Left-hand gable end: first-floor blocked 2-light mullioned stone window to right with returned hood mould. C20 six-panelled door with pilastered and pedimented stone doorcase. Right-hand return (garden) front: 3 parapeted gabled dormers (right-hand pair look restored or c.1900) with moulded copings, globe finials at apices, and oval windows (left-hand one is oeil-de-boeuf). Three-window front; mullioned and transomed stone windows with returned hood moulds (some look restored or c.1900). Lower one-storey part to right with 3-light leaded wooden casement. Rear: first-floor 2-light mullioned stone window to right. Stair tower in angle of wing with gable to rear and side; first-floor 2-light mullioned stone window to rear with returned hoodmould and integral stone stack to side. First-floor one- and 2-light mullioned stone windows with returned hood moulds to rear of wing too. Interior: partly inspected: C17 dog-leg oak staircase with landings, rising to attic, with closed string, turned balusters, chamfered handrail, and chamfered newel posts with finials, the foot newels rising to full height. Tudor archway at foot of staircase with evidence of former dog gate. Staircase returns to top landing. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: p605)

Listing NGR: SP3613516709