Friary Manor

Friary Manor

A house and restaurant, originally the vicarage for the Church of St. Mary and St. Julian. The building probably dates from the 17th century, was substantially enlarged and remodelled in 1724, then remodelled again in the late 19th century with further alterations in the 20th century.

The structure is built of rubble with slate-hung and painted front elevation. The slate roof is hipped over the main range and front wings, with stacks positioned to the sides between the front and rear ranges. The original rectangular plan was completely altered during the 1724 remodelling, which introduced a front parallel range with projecting wings to the front right and left. At this time, a central entrance hall with stair hall to the rear was constructed within the early rear range, with principal rooms positioned to the right and left, including the front wings each containing a small square room. The rear range was designated for service rooms and connects to a one-and-a-half-storey outhouse enclosing the rear yard, with walls on both sides.

The house presents two storeys and an attic in a 1:3:1 bay arrangement. At first floor, the central range features 12-pane sashes with thin glazing bars and segmental heads. The wings have ground and first floor sashes, with 8-pane replacements to the left and ground floor right, and a 12-pane sash at first floor right. The ground floor of the central bays is concealed by a late 19th or early 20th-century conservatory with pitched roof, central panelled and glazed door to the house with overlight. The attic storey has two segmental-headed dormers, each containing a 12-pane sash with glazed cheeks.

The right side is slate-hung with a mid-19th-century canted bay at ground floor right, featuring a 12-pane sash to the front with sidelights and a cornice on consoles, and a 12-pane sash at first floor. The rear range to the right has a first floor 12-pane sash with segmental head, two small 19th-century sashes, and a 16-pane sash with segmental head. At ground floor are a 12-pane sash with sidelights, a pointed arched door to the kitchen, and a 2-light window.

The left side front range is slate-hung with a large 19th-century window at ground floor. The rear range steps out to the left and is rendered, with a 12-pane sash with sidelights at ground floor and a 16-pane sash at first floor. The rear elevation has a door with overlight and 6-pane sash to the right, a 6-light 19th-century stair light, and a 16-pane sash at first floor to the right. Walls on the right and left connect the rear of the house to the one-and-a-half-storey outhouse with 19th-century door and window openings.

Interior

Fine features remain from the 1724 phase. The entrance hall contains a dog-leg stair to the rear with turned balusters and ramped grip-moulded handrail swept out to the right and left. This leads to an intermediate landing, from which the stair continues at double width straight to the rear of the rear range, with dado panelling throughout its length. The entrance hall itself has raised fielded panelling and a dado rail, with bolection-moulded architraves to doors opening to rooms right and left. The doors are six-panelled raised fielded. A similar doorway opens to the rear range to the left of the stair.

The front left room features fine plasterwork on the ceiling depicting leaves, apples and pears. It is panelled with a bolection-moulded panel over the fireplace, which was formerly a bolection-moulded chimneypiece that may survive beneath a 20th-century fireplace. A moulded cornice runs throughout. The rear left room was formerly panelled but now exposes rubble stonework. The front right room was also formerly panelled, with shutters remaining in the bay window and a dado rail surviving.

The rear range has stone floors. At first floor, there are three rooms to the right and left and one to the centre front. The central room to the left has bolection-moulded panelling, with the fireplace now concealed. The front left room retains a moulded arch between it and the front wing.

Despite 19th and 20th-century alterations, this building retains an unusually fine interior, particularly the principal room at ground floor to the left.