Manor House

Details

WEST COKER CP MANOR STREET (East side) ST5113 9/317 Manor House 19.4.61

GV I

Manor house. Medieval origins, the earliest surviving portions probably being of c1500. Ham stone cut and squared with ashlar dressings; stone slate roofs between coped gables; stone chimney stacks, of which 2 seem medieval and the remaining octagonal stacks may be early C17. Now a 'U'-shape plan with forwards extension: 2-storeys with attics. West front of 6 bays irregular fenestration. Bay-1 represented by a wide one- bay projection with plain chamfer mullioned window with labels, 4-light below and 3-lights above; then in corner the solar, with plinth and parapet; South facing 2-light pointed arch window with transome and C15 style tracery; bay-2 has a double two- light flat arched window with cirquefoil head lights; bay-3 has a fine projecting gabled porch no later than 1616 (graffiti of that date) with pointed arch and crude rustication, above which are the Portman arms in a rectangular recess, under a gable with urn finial; bay-4 is blank bellow, with 12-light hollow chamfer mullioned window above, the label to which has male and female head stops; bay-5 has a similar 3-light window without label above which is a corbelled flue; then a two-thirds height offset buttress before the blank lover bay-6, with a trefoild headed window in rectangular recess above. Secondary entrance with plain doorway under stone hood on stone corbels on South side, behind which is projection with dovecote at attic level. North and East elevations of similar character. Internally such of interest. The porch opens into the screens passage with stair to the minstrels' gallery ever, and in turn to the Hall, with arch braced collar beam trussed roof, having the lowest bays each side decorated with quatrefoil frieze rather that conventional windbraces, fireplace and doorway of circa 1500, and solar in one corner; the old kitchen with very wide fireplace and big chimney. Northwest room with another chimney piece of c1500; nearby a stone newal stair giving access to major bedroom with ornamented open roof and carved wood frieze of c1600; other features include the Portman Room, with plaster ceiling frieze and fireplace with heraldic overmantel, the attic dovecote, and a fine library of 1910 by Sir Aston Webb. Dating very difficult because of subsequent restoration: earlier manor destrcyed by fire 1457, rebuilt between 1473 and 1500; acquired by Portman Family in 1591 and held by them until 1829, being remodelled c1600; by 1800 a tenanted farmhouse, it was purchased by an architect, John Moore in 1875, vigorously restored by him until he died in 1878, then by his brother until he died in 1883; Sir Aston Webb rebuilt the South East wing in 1910 and nay have done other restoration. Although some 'old' work is suspiciously new looking, and some supposedly restored parts look old, the overall character is unspoiled by alteration: Pevsner calls it 'Exquisitely beautiful'. (Christopher Hussey, Country Life: Vol LII P47; SANHS Proceedings 76 i 54, 1930; VAG Report, unpublished SRO, 1972; Sir R Nathan, The Annals of West Coke, 1957; Margaret Wood, The English Medieval House, 1965; Pevsner, N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958; etc).

Listing NGR: ST5199113520

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

263875

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Wood, E, The English Medieval House, (1965)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset, (1958)
Nathan, R, The Annals of West Coker, (1957)
Country Life in Country Life, Vol. 52, (), 47
Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society in Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Vol. 76, (1930), 54
Vernacular Architecture Group Report in Vernacular Architecture Group Report, (1972)

End of official list entry

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