Maunsel House

Maunsel House

House of irregular plan built in phases from the late 14th or early 15th century through to the late 19th century. Construction is rubble with some render and freestone dressing, with tile and fishscale roofs. The building comprises: a late 14th or early 15th century open hall facing east (now two storeys with attic and four first-floor windows); a later 15th century three-bay addition to its left (now two storeys with attic); a late 18th century three-bay addition to the right of two storeys and attic, two bays deep; a 16th century two-storey addition to the rear of the left-hand 15th century block; a 17th century three-storey addition to the rear of the central hall; and a 19th century addition to the rear of the 18th century block in free Gothic style.

The east entrance elevation features a panelled door within a gabled Gothic porch. The central and right-hand blocks have sashes with glazing bars, some with margin-lights. The first floor of the central block has three two-light leaded iron casements, two with stone mullions. These windows are set in dressed stone quoined surrounds with hoodmoulds. Four flat-roofed casement dormers are present, along with traces of blocked former windows.

The left-hand block contains a two-light stone mullioned window with cusped lights and iron saddle and stanchion bars to the ground floor right, and above it a flat-arched small-pane three-light window. A blocked window exists on each floor of the left bay. The roof has coped verges with bases for finials; two retain iron finials inscribed "A.S." and "T.B 1703". An arcaded wooden bellcote with pyramidal lead roof and iron finial inscribed "1862" tops the 19th century addition. Brick and ashlar stacks with moulded freestone caps are present, one being a 17th century original with triple diagonally-set flues.

The rear elevation includes three-light hollow-moulded mullion windows on each floor to the right, a moulded cross-window to the centre within a later Gothick storied porch, and another with hoodmould to the left (17th century) bay.

Internally, the 16th century south-west block has a basket-arched doorway on the ground floor and a coffered ceiling with large-scantling beams with ogee-moulded arrises. The first floor room contains a 17th century stone fireplace with moulded panelling and cornice, and 18th century panelled doors. The 17th century part has moulded panelling to the first-floor room with a fine fireplace surround featuring fluted Ionic pilasters, over-mantel panels and elaborate cornices, and a heavily-moulded coffered ceiling. An adjacent bathroom contains a late 19th century bath with upright shower unit.

The 15th century left-hand block contains three wooden spiral stairs from the first floor to the attic, one rising against the former end-wall of the open hall which has a window with wood mullions and stanchions. The attic has principal rafter roof trusses. The hall itself has a later 16th or early 17th century first-floor corner fireplace and panelling, with a bathroom featuring a late 19th century bath with lid. The attic floor contains a fine medieval roof with six closely-spaced moulded arch-braced trusses with short V struts, two tiers of chamfered and cusped arched windbraces, and moulded butt purlins. The stair is 18th century with turned balusters. The 18th century part has good fireplaces and a north-east room with full-height pilasters, elaborate frieze and cornice.

A late 18th century remodeling was carried out in 1827-8 by Richard Carver for General Slade, and further work was undertaken in the late 19th century.