The Manor House Twisted Chimneys

The Manor House and Twisted Chimneys

A timber-framed manor house, now divided into two dwellings, probably dating from the early 16th century with alterations spanning the 17th to 20th centuries. It is sited on Church Street in Buckingham and was historically the manor house of the Prebendal Manor of Sutton-cum-Buckingham, held by successive Prebendaries of Lincoln Cathedral until the Dissolution.

The building comprises a central hall range flanked by cross wings, arranged as a two-storey, five-window front elevation. The structure combines timber-framing with brick infill, a plain-tile roof, and brick lateral stacks. The main entrance consists of a six-panel door with moulded wood surround and straight hood on scrolled brackets, positioned to the far right of the main range.

To the left of the door is a projecting bay with a large rendered brick lateral stack occupying the left of centre position, topped with a flat lead roof that continues in line with the door hood. A 12-pane sash window sits adjacent to the stack. Beyond this, a single-storey extension of coursed rubble with flat roof occupies the space alongside the left cross wing, featuring a leaded 2-light casement window with cambered arched head to the front, a similar 3-light window to the right side, and a six-panel part-glazed door.

The first floor of the main range displays close studding with rendered brick infill, flanked by 3-light and 1-light leaded windows either side of the stack.

The right cross wing is built of red brick at ground floor, where a 4-light leaded wood mullion and transom window lights the interior. The first floor shows close studding and red brick infill with large ogee braces running from the end posts to the tie beam, a 12-pane sash window to the centre, and a 1-light leaded window to the gable. This wing has been extended slightly to the right in brick with a cat-slide roof and also to the rear. A large lateral brick stack to the right side has a rebuilt flue with brattishing at its base.

The left cross wing projects considerably to the front and displays a ground floor of coursed limestone rubble with close studding and red brick infill to the first floor, containing large arch braces running from the end posts to a cambered tie beam. 12-pane sashes occupy both ground and first floor levels, with a leaded 1-light window to the gable. The front projecting section of this wing is doubled to the left by a full-height wing of coursed squared limestone to ground floor with limestone and ironstone quoins, and red brick in English bond to the first floor, which replaces timber-framing. A cellar window and 12-pane sash with wood lintel light this addition. A two-storey structure at the rear may represent a former stair turret. A four-panel part-glazed door accesses the left side of the main cross wing, beyond which stands a large projecting stone lateral stack with a fine original barleysugar twist brick flue and an additional square brick flue behind, likely dating from the 18th century.

The rear elevation shows limited visible timber-framing and is largely of red brick, incorporating a single-storey flat-roofed bay window to the rear left and a two-storey 20th-century brick porch positioned in the angle between the main range and the projecting section of the right cross wing. First-floor sash windows provide further fenestration. The first floor was probably originally jettied.

Interior features are substantial. The main range formerly contained a ground floor hall, now subdivided, with a stone-flagged floor and chamfered cross beam ceiling with broach stops, originally divided into six compartments. An early to mid-18th-century wood chimneypiece in the inner room displays egg-and-dart ornament to the fireplace surround, a central lion's mask, and foliage sprays to the frieze.

The drawing room retains a Tudor-arched oak doorway opening to the hall, with quatrefoil and foliage detailing in the spandrels and set within a square panelled timber-framed partition wall. Stop-moulded spine beam and stop-moulded joists are visible. A large original stone fireplace features a deep hollow-chamfered Tudor-arched opening with foliage carved to the spandrels. The frieze above displays Tudor roses in quatrefoils alternating with shields in fleurons. One shield bears three rings, believed to be the arms of Richard Lavynder, Prebendary of Buckingham from 1481 to 1507.

A dogleg stair with widely spaced turned balusters rises from this level. The first floor displays struts running from posts to tie beams.

The Twisted Chimneys (the left cross wing) contains a chamfered cross beam ceiling to the ground floor, with stone-flagged floors to the hall and kitchen areas. A rebuilt stair with turned balusters serves the upper levels. The roof structure, visible above, comprises three bays with curved braces to tie beams, queen posts to collars, and one tier of wind-braced purlins. A rear first-floor room retains part of an original Tudor-arched fireplace with hollow-chamfer to the innermost profile and wave-moulding to the outer edge.

Historically, the building served as the manor house of the Prebendal Manor of Sutton-cum-Buckingham before changing hands at the Dissolution. In the 18th century it was used as a school. Queen Elizabeth I dined here around August 1568.