The Manor (EHER 35651)

An early 13th century aisled hall house, and former manor house, with 14th and 16th century alterations.

November 1951. Grade I listed. A rare example of an early domestic building, originally an early 13th century manor house which was partly rebuilt and altered in the 14th and 16th centuries. <1> Former Manor House. Early 13th and 14th centuries. Part timber framed and rendered, and part tendered stonework with plain tile roof. Of two storeys and on a ‘H-shaped’ plan form with later single storey extensions. Former aisled hall with front (NW) aisle demolished and crosswings at each end. The NW elevation of the easternmost crosswing is gabled with area of old pargetted plaster on first floor. Other walling is of similar 20th century pargetting. Three light window in gable and 4 light mullion and transom window on first floor of much renewed stonework. Two small slip windows on ground floor with iron security bars. Front of main block has tall, off centre red brick rectangular stack. First floor has two complex 4-light casements with diamond leaded lights. Ground floor has two similar windows and entrance door under semi circular arch. The westernmost wing has a typical steep roof pitch of an early 14th century building and remnants of old decorative ridge tiles. Four light windows on first floor over canted flat roofed bay window with small pane, double hung sashes. The south west flank of this wing has a single storey lean to with hipped roof and tall 20th century flank stack of red brick. There is one 2-light horizontal sliding casement on first floor. The rear elevation of the westernmost wing has a four light leaded light window on each floor. To the rear of the main block the roof sweeps down over the surviving aisle which has a door, one 2-light horizontal sliding window, a tiny window and a 4-light casement all with leaded lights. All the rear elevation now has 20th century pargetting in panels. The rear of the easternmost wing has, like the front, a 4-light mullioned and transomed 16th century widow on the first floor. Wrapped around its SW corner is a 20th century extension with slate hipped roof and gault brick walls. To the rear of the wing is a large flat roofed extension, partially within flint and brick, former garden walls with coped tops. The NE flank of the easternmost wing has projecting truncated stack, a recessed 2-light window and an oriel with mullion and transom on first floor and a 3-light casement on the ground floor. The easternmost wing is a stone walled structure of the 13th century century, perhaps originally comprising solar/service in one block and part of an earlier domestic complex. Towards the later hall are two contemporary arched and moulded doorways of church and the first floor of Sampson post construction also survives from this period. Traces of 13th century window openings survive but much was renewed in the 16th century when a staircase was inserted. The exceptionally wide floorboards of the first floor are noteworthy. The main body of the building consists of an aisled hall from around 1330, with a contemporary or near contemporary crosswing to the west. The hall is of two equal bays plus a half bay concluding with a spear truss. It is possible that the space between this and the earlier crosswing may incorporate earlier work. The hall has quatre foil section posts, moulded capitals and moulded arches beneath the turning aisle ties. The spear truss posts are grooved to the rear to receive a boarded infill. The roof construction of hall and westernmost crosswing has crownposts with moulded capitals and bases and four way bracing. The latter is of three bays, originally forming one large chamber on the first floor and is ingeniously framed together with the structure of the hall. The rear wall of the crosswing when recently uncovered was found to have an arch headed doorway on first floor, possibly to an outside staircase or garderobe. Remarkably complete medieval complex of outstanding interest. <2> The building has a kitchen wing, which possibly dates to the beginning of the 13th century. The aisled hall and solar wing are dated 1275. Towards the end of the 16th century the house was much altered. The hall was divided, a central chimney stack and floor were inserted, the north aisle and porch were removed, the kitchen wing was altered and decorated. In the 19th century all the doors and windows of the hall and solar wing were altered, the whole building was renovated and an outhouse was added. There are 16th century windows, a partition, a staircase and a fireplace. <3> Two storied with attics. Flint rubble walls part timber-framed and plaster-covered. Kitchen wing built at the beginning of the 13th century. In around 1275 a timber-framed aisled hall and solar wing were built or rebuilt, possibly with a porch on the north side. The plan of the building is a modified 'half-H', and is substantially 13th century except for the loss of the aisle of the hall. The screens passage, with two early 13th century stone doorways, is to the north east of the hall. There are remains of original windows, some blocked. Altered in the Elizabethan period. <4> The east wing is from around 1225, and the hall and solar are from around 1275. J. T. Smith argued for a date of approximately 1320-1330. <5> <6> <7> Pevsner seems to prefer a date in around 1475. According to him there were never two aisles. <8> Early 13th century, partly rebuilt and altered in the 14th and 16th centuries. Stone kitchen wing from around 1200, and hall block from approximately 1320-1330 . <9> <10> Altered in the 14th-16th and 19th centuries. <5> - <10> Site Assessment: "A remarkable example of domestic architecture of an unusually early date". <4> "A rare survival". <8> NRHE data transfer: (TL 51474168) Manor Farm. <11> November 1977. Field survey. Little Chesterford Manor (name confirmed), formerly Manor Farm, is as described above and is an outstanding example of an aisled hall house. According to the owner it is the earliest known example in Essex. <12>