The Manor House

The Manor House is a manor house dating from 1647, built for the Bennett family. It is constructed of limestone ashlar to the front, with Flemish bond brick returns, and has a stone slate roof with a triple gabled front. Ashlar stacks have moulded cappings. The building is two storeys and an attic, with a three-window front. A central gabled stone porch has a bolection-moulded doorway, a ledged and studded door, an open pediment over, and a ball finial to the coped verge. A single-light moulded casement and a three-light moulded mullioned casement with a dripstone flank the doorway. The first floor has three three-light mullioned casements with dripstones. Three attic gables each have a two-light mullioned casement with a dripstone; saddleback coped verges have moulded finials, and a sundial is positioned in the centre. The right return has two-light mullioned casements with dripstones and bull's eyes, and to the right is a large two-storey canted bay dating from the early 20th century, with cross windows. A rear wing incorporates a gabled stone porch with a two-light mullioned casement to the first floor and a three-light to the attic gable; the first floor was raised in the early 20th century. The left return features an early 20th-century bow-fronted porch, a 20th-century mullioned casement to the left, and two-light mullioned casements and bull’s eyes to the first and attic floors. The rear range displays 20th-century mullioned casements, and an early 20th-century single-storey extension to the right. Around 1900, the central courtyard was filled in. A mullioned window, recently uncovered (in February 1987), illuminates the stairs. Interior features include a good framed newel staircase with a closed string, turned balusters, a moulded handrail, and square newels. There are six-panelled doors in moulded architraves. A room to the right of the entrance contains reset wainscot panelling, a large bolection-moulded fireplace, and ovolo-moulded beams in the hall. The Bennett family acquired the manor in 1624, built this house in 1647, and sold the estate to Richard Long of Rood Ashton in 1799.