Up Cerne Manor House

ST 60 SE UP CERNE UP CERNE VILLAGE 8/245 26-1-56 Up Cerne Manor House GV II*

Manor House, early C17 though possibly incroporating some earlier work, service wing has late C17 or early C18 west front, considerable alterations and additions of 1892, 1909 and later C20. For Sir Robert Mellor. Dressed rubble and ashlar, service wing with brick fac g west (Flemish bond with flared headers and some diamond patterning). Stone slated, gable-ended roofs with stone copings and stone stacks in various locations. 2 storeys and attics, irregular fenestration. Main range is of E plan with forward facing gables. Stone mullioned windows of 2, 3 and 5-lights. These have square heads and 4-centred lights and most have returned labels. Single storey gabled porch with 4-centred doorway. Service wing west facade has stone mullioned windows with 4-centred arch lights reset under 3-centred brick relieving arches. 4-centred arch doorway. East front has 2 large Cl9 canted bay windows of 2 storeys with stone mullioned windows. Other windows are stone mullioned, most having 4-centred lights but some in the service range having straight headed lights. Returned labels. A single storey wing to the west of the service range appears to be largely C20 though incorporating some earlier stonework. It has a probably C20 corbelled ashlar dovecote. There are a number of pieces of stone carving reset in the walls. These include foliage carved corbels, ballflower and head corbels of cl300 , probably taken from Cerne Abbey. Internally tile house is almost entirely C20 except for some chamfered beams and fireplace bressummers. RCHM, Dorset, vol I, pp 86-7, no 2. Newman J and Pevsner N: The Buildings of England: Dorset, Penguin, 1972, pp 432-433.

Listing NGR: ST6581702683