Swanborough Manor And The Dovecot To North West Of The House

IFORD 1. 5206 Swanborough Manor and the dovecot to north-west of the house TQ 4007 24/379 17.3.52. I

1. L-shaped building. The original portion of the building was part of a Grange of St Pancras Priory, Lewes, which was the administrative centre for the monastic farms of the district. This is the west wing which dates from about 1200, altered and enlarged in the C15. It comprised the hall and part of the Chapel to the east. It is faced with flints and stone rubble with a tiled roof. The north wall has a central chimney breast of flints with stone quoins, a later brick top and 2 tiny quatrefoil ornaments in it. This front also has one blocked stone lancet window of 1200 circa, 3 C15 windows of 2 trefoil-headed lights with dripstones over, one C15 cinquefoil-headed single-light window, a pointed doorway of 1200 circa and a C15 doorway at first floor level blocked with flints with an obtusely pointed head. The west wall has a partly obscured circular window of 1200 circa and a C16 cmquefoil-headed window. Beyond this to the west is the C15 Gatehouse with a pointed archway on the ground floor. Above this was originally a passage leading to the (demolished west wing) but this has been converted into a dovecot with nesting-boxes of chalk blocks. The south front of this wing has a buttress. The east front of the mediaeval wing is faced with flints with stone quoins but is of red brick at the top with a tile-hung gable over. One window. The south wing is a timber-framed building added in the C16 but refronted in the C18 with red brick and grey headers on ground floor above tile-hung. Tiled roof. Sash windows with glazing bars intact. Its western wall is of painted brick with 3 half-hipped gables and a small porch. Two storeys and attic. Five windows. Three dormers. (Article in the Sussex Archaeological Society Collections Vol 77, p 3).

Listing NGR: TQ4010207802