Saltford Manor House

Saltford Manor House is a Norman manor house dating from around 1160, with significant alterations and additions made in the early 13th century, 15th century, 1637, 1645, the 19th century, and mid-20th century. The original Norman manor house was built by Earl William of Gloucester. It underwent major mid-17th century remodelling during the ownership of two generations of the Flower family.

The building is constructed with squared and coursed rubble laid in distinct bands to the south facade, coursed rubble to the north facade, ashlar dressings, copings, and a gabled single-Roman tile roof to the main range with pantiles to the west wing. Ashlar stacks project from the west gable end and mid-ridge.

The plan reveals the building's long development. The main range represents the extent of the original Norman manor, with cellarage and a first-floor hall with a solar to the east and parlour to the west. In the early 13th century the parlour was possibly converted into a chapel. In the 15th century the cellar was converted into a living space and the hall was horizontally divided into two floors. A wing to the west, now in separate ownership and not included in this listing, was probably added in the Tudor period, and a further wing was built to the west in the mid-17th century. Small early 19th-century outshuts were added to the rear.

The exterior is three storeys with a three-window range. The ground floor to the south front has two 3-light ovolo-moulded mullion windows with casements under flush relieving arches to the left of the doorway and one 2-light mullion window to the right. The first floor has similar 2-light mullion windows under a continuous string course with relieving arches over. Second-floor windows are 2-light mullions set below the eaves. A 15th-century diagonal buttress projects from the south-west corner, and a weathered carved lion is set to the east gable end. A recessed doorway with flat stone hood and plank door faces the south front. A late 20th-century glazed door to the west wing and two 2-light mullion windows to the first floor represent modern additions.

The north front reveals the Norman origins of the manor with a round-arched mid-12th-century window to the first floor: two arched lights with a central column and cushion capital and outer colonnettes, with two tiers of chevron moulding and outer nail-head moulding to the arch. This window is set between large buttresses with set-offs. A 2-light early 13th-century window to the left-hand at first-floor level has trefoil-cusped heads and a quatrefoil above; a single-light rectangular window above and to the left lights the staircase.

The interior of the entrance hallway contains massive oak ceiling beams supporting the first-floor hall, and a spiral staircase with stone treads now covered with wooden planks. A round-arched doorway opens to the north wall.

The drawing room to the left-hand ground floor contains a 15th-century fireplace with wave-moulded architrave and broach stops to the bases, a panelled wooden lintel with a central quatrefoil, and a plaster strapwork overmantel with cartouches flanked by columns. The overmantel bears the initials LF/E, AF and the date 1645, relating to Lamorock Flower, his wife, and the older Mrs Flower. A mid-17th-century marquetry panel is positioned above the doorway, and a large mid-12th-century corbel supports the ceiling on the south wall. The east wall to the staircase and adjacent room contains early 13th-century wall paintings, now boxed in and not visible at the time of survey, featuring imitation masonry, a Virgin and Child, and a scene with a Wheel of Fortune.

The first-floor room to the west retains the inner face of the mid-12th-century window with two orders of colonnettes with inner roll-moulding and outer chevron-moulding. A stone chimneypiece possibly re-uses mid-16th-century outer mouldings and base stops bearing the initials LF and AF and the date 1637, relating to another Lamorock Flower and his wife. A moulded ceiling beam with run-off stops spans this room.

Saltford Manor is a rare survival of a Norman hall, contemporary with Horton Court in nearby Gloucestershire. The latter was a prebendal house, and it can be assumed that Saltford had a direct association with Keynsham Abbey. Saltford Manor House, its Dovecote, and the Church of St Mary form a good group.