The Manor House/Dowdeswell Place

SP 01 NW DOWDESWELL UPPER DOWDESWELL VILLAGE

5/43 The Manor House/Dowdeswell Place (formerly listed as Manor House and 23.1.52 outbuildings) GV II*

Former manor house now in three occupations. Late C16 - early C17, (probably built by the Abbington family), mid C17, late C19, early C20 and late C20. Coursed squared and dressed limestone, stone slate roof, squared and dressed stone stacks. Formerly a quadrangle, now 'H'-shaped in plan with wings projecting forwards right and left of central projecting porch. Small late C19-early C20 wing projecting at right-angles from left-hand wall, left of blocked doorway. Right-hand wing substantially rebuilt at rear mid-late C19 with C20 1½ storey Cotswold style extension on to gable end. Symmetrical facade to main body with gabled wings projecting forwards left and right. Two storeys attic and cellar. 1:3:1-windowed. Ground floor of left-hand gable-end lit by 6-light ovolo-moulded stone-mullioned window, similar 6-light window with transom above. King mullions to both windows. Two-light ovolo- moulded stone-mullioned windows to attic. Dripmoulds over all windows. Hood mould stepped up over first floor window of left- hand wing. Metal casements with leaded panes or horizontal glazing bars. Central gabled projecting porch with studded plank door within moulded surround with bag stops, Baroque cartouche of the Rich family arms over, formerly over doorway within porch. Moulded surround to door within, bull-eye window with carved spandrels over. Large projecting stack from rear wall of central hall and axial stacks all with moulded cappings. Saddleback gable-end coping with pointed finials and moulded kneelers. Interior: hall entered from porch with large almost flat 'Tudor'- arched fireplace with moulded surround. High, 'Tudor'-arched moulded stone archway from hall to east wing which contains a fine open-well staircase of c.1700 with turned balusters, ball finial and pendants. Debased blind arched decoration on newels. C17 panelling in room at rear of left-hand wing with 'Tudor'-arched stone fireplace with moulded stone surround and ornate cornice shelf with stepped mouldings. C17 panelling in an upstairs room. Late C17 stone fireplace with bolection moulding in same room. History: the house passed from the Abbington family to the Rich family mid C17 and was subsequently bought by a London merchant named van Notton and thence the Pole family. (Dowdeswell Manor, Gloucestershire Countryside (1955-8) P.lll-2. Print in Atkyn's History of Gloucestershire c1710.)

Listing NGR: SP0051919169