Woodlands Manor

Woodlands Manor

Manor house comprising a chapel of mid-14th century date, a hall block built circa 1370-1380 for Thomas Doddington, and an east range of mid-15th century date. The building underwent significant internal modification during the 16th and 18th centuries. It was purchased by Matthew Andrews in 1705, passing to the Meyrick family in the late 18th century where it remained until the mid-20th century. Major restoration was undertaken by Reverend F Meyrick-Jones from 1922 onwards.

The structure is built of limestone rubble with large flush greensand quoins and ashlar stacks, beneath a plain tile roof which replaced stone slate removed in 1888. The plan consists of a main east-west hall range with a 2-storey porch, a service wing at right angles, and a chapel range set back and parallel with the hall. This is a very complete late medieval small-scale manor house that was brought back to its 17th-century state through early 20th-century restoration.

The south front features a full-height 2-light cusped square hooded window and a similar smaller 2-light window without transom to the right. A small gable stack with finial stands to the left, followed by a moulded arched doorway beneath a 2-light hollow chamfer with stopped hood in a coped gable topped with a cross-saddle, leading to the porch. A small single light is set high on the porch return to the left. To the right is the gabled end of the service range in 2 storeys, with 3-light casements to stopped hoods at each level, beneath coped gables with cross-saddles. The right return facing east is in 2 storeys with various 2- and 4-light casements, including a small 2-light at eaves level above a moulded arched doorway. An external eaves stack with short ashlar top and a large gable stack stand to the right; the north gable is plain, with the roof swept down to an addition on the right facing the chapel. To the left of the main hall range is a single-storey unit beneath a swept-down roof with a plank entry.

The chapel block is 2-storey with coped gables and at its west end a double ashlar stack with cylindrical terminals. The east front displays a 3-light Perpendicular window above a 2-light hollow chamfer mullion window with transom and stopped hoodmould, of 16th-century date. Above this is a flush arch with voussoirs and keystone, possibly marking an earlier opening. The north front is complex, featuring at ground floor a fine plank and stud square-headed door brought in during the 20th century, 2-light and 3-light 4-centred headed casements with hoods, and a small 2-storey buttress between these. At upper floor level is a 3-light 14th-century reticulated window with square head and moulded hood to deep drops, and a 2-light 15th-century cusped casement with transom and hood. Between these is a moulded pointed door opening with a 17th-century door leading to a stone slab balcony with wooden balustrade; this was originally the chapel access, reached by means of an external staircase. Diagonal buttresses with three offsets are located at the north-east and north-west corners. The return gable is plain except for an external stack. Most windows feature beading of 20th-century date.

Interior

From the porch entry, a staircase hall contains a Jacobean wooden stair with 17th-century panelling below a solid string with square turned balusters, newel and heavy handrail. To the right is a room with a panel and muntin partition and a 4-centred headed door. To the left of the entry is a heavy panel and muntin screen with rail and a plank and nail-head door with decorative strap hinges in a 4-centred opening, which gives access to the hall.

The hall features a 6-bay arch-braced collar roof with three tiers of cusped wind bracing to three chamfered and stopped purlins. Alternate trusses have paired curved braces rising from the collar to the principals, including the two wall trusses. Above the screen is a projecting gallery with a front of linen-fold panelling carried on a large moulded and stopped beam. Below the gallery and above the screen is an internal 4-light window. At the west end is a very wide stone moulded cambered arch fireplace, with a square-headed wide plank and nail-head door to a wood lintel to its right. The north side of the hall has a 2-light window to the right, corresponding to one on the south side. Far to the left is a triple-mould pointed arched opening to the base of a stone stair, opposite a plank and batten door with a 4-centred head in a moulded square stone doorcase, giving access to the lower chapel or Book Room.

The lower chapel or Book Room possesses a splendid stone Elizabethan fireplace with Ionic columns and richly modelled surround and entablature, carrying a coat of arms as overmantel flanked by Corinthian columns, rising to a grape and vine-leaf frieze and geometrical embellished plaster ceiling. The floor is of stone flags. Above is the former chapel with a plastered barrel roof in three bays, one of which is brattished and embellished with a tie-beam. A large Elizabethan or Jacobean stone fireplace features fluted columns with unusual decorated Doric caps and podia, carrying a frieze with triglyphs, ox-heads and rosettes beneath a fluted cornice with two pairs of scrolls. A rich internal architrave surrounds the opening. The upper room to the porch has an arch-braced roof, with a linear horse's head depicted on plaster in red paint beside a small single light on one wall.

The kitchen contains a very heavy bressummer fire opening. Floors are of stone flagging throughout the hall, entrance, kitchen and some adjoining rooms. The chapel room contains a small area of medieval tiles.

The building had fallen into decay by the late 19th century. Its present condition is largely due to substantial work undertaken in the early 20th century; before this, architect C E Ponting and the Wiltshire Archaeological Society had been instrumental in the late 1880s in preventing the loss of much of the building through demolition. The extent and nature of Reverend F Meyrick-Jones' restoration from 1922 onwards is detailed in his articles published in Country Life, Volume CL, 1924, May 10 and May 17.