Manor Farmhouse

Manor Farmhouse is a detached house, formerly a farmhouse, located on the north side of Staunton Lane in Whitchurch. The building dates from the mid-17th century, with substantial alterations carried out in the early 19th century.

The earliest part of the structure comprises a single bay of the original mid-17th-century building. The later, principal range, which dominates the composition, follows a symmetrical central hall plan with an early 19th-century projecting rear open-well staircase and rear transverse corridor. To the left rear of the main range is a contemporary service wing, substantially restructured in the late 20th century. Behind the early wing stands a separated block of no special architectural interest, which is joined to the early wing by a wall with an entrance gateway.

The external walls are constructed of lias rubble, rendered and scribed with ashlar joints, with some areas left as whitewashed rubble. The roofs are various concrete tile.

The building stands two storeys high with a main frontage of three plus one windows. The principal range features replacement aluminium pseudo-sash windows set in full-height recessed panels with flat elliptical heads. The early range retains replacement stone ovolo-mould casements with drip-moulds, carefully matched in detail to the original removed casements. The centrepiece of the front elevation is a fine central 6-panel door beneath a decorative fanlight, set within a painted limestone pilaster doorcase complete with flat entablature, rosettes, panelled soffit, and stepped blocking-course. A large single sandstone slab forms the landing at the entrance. The building displays a slight plinth, a moulded parapet, and plain raised and coped gables with a stack at each end, the treatment similar to the lower 17th-century wing. The left return is plain, though the lower service wing here has two 2-light late 20th-century wood casements at each floor level. The right return carries a small 2-light casement to the first floor.

The rear elevation features a staircase projection with a separate hipped roof and plain outer wall, distinguished by a large 12-pane window with radial fanlight above a large plain oculus on its left return. To the left stands a fine original large 12-pane sash window. The early range has a replacement wood casement at each level and a part-glazed plank door. The service wing to the right is fitted with a 20th-century wood casement at each level and a wide early 19th-century plank and batten door; its outer gable features a central stack.

The interior has undergone considerable alteration, but significant period features survive. The early wing retains one deep-chamfered and stopped contemporary beam and the remains of a moulded mantel-shelf to its fireplace. The main range incorporates a further deep-chamfered beam, which was reused and raised to the new ceiling height during the 19th-century work. The central hall contains the open-well stair to the rear, fitted with stick balusters and a swept and wreathed mahogany handrail. Two contemporary fireplaces with wide reeded surrounds and rosettes, fitted with cast-iron grates, are positioned within the hall. At both levels, the hall and adjacent spaces feature 6-panel doors in reeded architraves with rosettes. All windows retain original panelled shutters. The doorway and stair window are distinguished by panelled intrados, and ground floor rooms and the upper landing have simple plaster cornices. The rear kitchen contains a rebuilt bressumer fireplace; to its left stands a bread oven with a cast-iron door set deep within a fine cut stone surround.

The farm is reputed to have a long history, though it is now separated from its former associated land and buildings. It has been suggested that there may formerly have been an entrance beneath the staircase, where the oculus is now positioned. To the east of the farmhouse stands a stock-yard enclosed by surrounding buildings, mostly constructed of lias with tile roofs, forming a rough triangle. The farm land lay predominantly to the north.