Hornton Manor

Reasons for Designation

Hornton Manor, a house by C.E. Bateman of 1927, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Accomplished composition by noteworthy Birmingham Arts and Crafts architect, influenced by Cotswold vernacular architecture. * Use of high quality traditional materials including ashlar, Cotswold limestone, timber framing as well as oak joinery inside. * Great attention to detail both externally and inside, including personalised elements bearing the initials of the owner and date of construction. * Despite some alteration the plan form and high quality interior survives with handcrafted elements. * Well integrated with its extensive grounds.

Details

SHENSTONE

1908/0/10017 ROSEMARY HILL ROAD 17-SEP-08 Hornton Manor

II House of 1927-8, with some later C20 alterations, by C.E. Bateman for local industrialist. Arts and Crafts in style, drawing much influence from Cotswold vernacular, particularly of C17.

MATERIALS: Constructed of coursed Cotswold limestone rubble with ashlar dressing and stone tiled roof laid in diminishing courses. The western end has a close-studded timber-framed upper storey. The windows are rebated and chamfered with stone mullions and lead casements, those to ground floor with dripmoulds, unless otherwise stated.

PLAN: L-shaped, with long range running from east to west, with cross wing at west end running north. The principal rooms are at the west end, services at the east. The house is of two storeys, with one and a half storeys to each end.

EXTERIOR: Irregular, but balanced, massing and fenestration. Garden (south) elevation: The garden elevation is of eight 2-storey bays; it is punctuated by a pair of projecting gabled bays to the left (west) with 5-light windows with drip course to both storeys, and a large gabled bay to right of centre with 5-light windows with drip mould. The paired gables have glazed and leaded doors on the inner sides, that to the left leads onto a small veranda with stone-tiled pitched roof. The end bay has been altered with the insertion of patio doors within a window opening. Three large stacks to this range at ends and centre and lead hoppers with flower motif. To the right of this range is a 2 bay service range of 1 ½ -storeys. This has large full-height transomed window to the kitchen. To the right of this is a porch opening, now glazed, with pitched roof with two small single light dormers. Courtyard (north) elevation: Dominated by wide projecting bay with 4-light window with drip mould to first floor, 3-light window and doorway with moulded jambs and flat porch to ground floor. To right of centre 1, then 7-light windows to first floor; 1, then 5-light windows to ground all with patterned leaded lights. To left of centre 5 bay 1 ½ storey service range with series of 2-light windows and doorway to left with dovecot in apex of gable. Cross wing courtyard (east) elevation: Tall transomed stair light rising to half dormer with patterned, leaded lights to left. To centre carriage way with semi-circular jambs and gabled timber first floor supported on stone corbels with a 5-light mullioned and transomed oriel. The gable above is jettied with cusped panels, which also appear immediately below the oriel, finely carved barge boards and tie beam which bears 1927 date plaque. Gable end stack to right of this and a 1 ½ storey, 2 bay wing with tile hung gables. This elevation is mirrored to the rear (west) with a 2-light stone oriel in place of the stair light. The main entrance to the house is located within the through-way to the left. This has a Tudor-arched surround with mid-height fleur-de-lis stops. To the left of this is a date plaque reading B/5 MAY/1927 and a two light window. Heavy wooden door with moulded boards, small leaded window with coloured lights and ornate strap hinges.

INTERIOR: The house retains heavy oak doors with brass handles, oak skirting and architraves to all but the two eastern end rooms of the ground floor. Ground floor: Open well stair case to left upon entering, with barley twist balusters and panelled underside. A corridor runs along the north side of the range giving access to the three principal rooms, from west to east: large reception room with panelled oak interior to picture rail height, incorporating window seats and trellis radiator covers, and exposed timber ceiling beams and joists. At the western gable end is a coursed, stone chimney piece comprising a coursed, tile fire surround with moulded, stone mantle shelf, flanked by stone pillars rising to ceiling with moulded stone capitals. The central principal room is much smaller with plaster panelled ceiling and box framed partition to corridor, with large pegged scantling. The chimney piece to east end is again constructed of coursed rubble and tile. The stone columns terminate at mantle height with moulded capitals. There is a part-glazed cupboard to the left of this. The eastern reception room has exposed ceiling beams and joists and large chimney piece, similar to the others, but with massive stone corbels supporting the mantle shelf. The two rooms beyond this have seen some alteration with the knocking through of the wall to either side of the stack. The modern kitchen has altered openings to the corridor. First floor: landing with square wooden posts with moulded capitals; box framed partition to corridor/rooms along part of corridor with full height panelled cupboards at east end. Some rooms retain fire surrounds, built in cupboards and ribbon moulding to cove, although the west end bedrooms have been opened out. At the east end is the service stair, which has square newel posts.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Wrought iron gate to north of house bearing date 1928 with round coursed rubble piers. Kennels to east of house, constructed of stone rubble under pitched stone tiled roof. A garage and lodge, built in 1937, stand to the north east of the house. They have been too altered to be of national significance and are not included in the listing.

HISTORY: Hornton Manor was built in 1927 by the Birmingham architect C.E. Bateman, for a local industrialist, Mr Burnett. At some point prior to 1937 the house was bought by C. Bird of the Bird's Custard family. A large garage was built at this point by the architect H.T. Richardson.

Bateman had a long and distinguished career, working in partnership with his father JJ Bateman (1817-1903) from 1887 as Bateman & Bateman, and from 1903 continuing alone well into the 1930s. He was President of Birmingham Architectural Association from 1879-9 and 1911-13. His output in the C20 was considerable and mainly centred on private houses for wealthy clients, living in the suburbs of Birmingham and further afield, such as Redlands, Sutton Coldfield (1906) and Aber Artro Hall, Gwynedd (1910), both listed at Grade II. He also undertook much restoration and extension work to country houses, particularly in the Cotswolds.

Before the 1920s, Rosemary Hill Wood was undeveloped and Hornton Manor was one of the first houses to be constructed in the wood. Although it retains its immediate gardens of approximately 2 hectares, the surrounding area is now built up with post-war suburban housing.

SOURCES: Stephen Anderton, `The Craft of Restoring a Garden: Aber Artro Hall', Country Life (2007) 114. Andy Foster, Birmingham Pevsner City Guide (2003) 20-29, 212, 127, 139, 151, 235. HW Hobbis, `Obituary'. RIBA Journal, Vol. 54 (1947) 575-6 `The Cedars, Calthorpe Road', Architectural Record Vol 5 (1896) `Honiley Hall', Architectural Record Vol 57 (1925) 255 `Architecture and Crafts at the Royal Academy', Architectural Review Special Supplement (1899), 2. `Current architecture: `Redlands', Hartopp Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield', Architectural Review, Vol 19 (1906) 174.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Hornton Manor is included on the list at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Accomplished composition by noteworthy Birmingham Arts and Crafts architect, influenced by Cotswold vernacular architecture. * Use of high quality traditional materials including ashlar, Cotswold limestone, timber framing as well as oak joinery inside. * Great attention to detail both externally and inside, including personalised elements bearing the initials of the owner and date of construction. * Despite some alteration the high quality interior survives with handcrafted elements. * Well integrated with extensive grounds.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

492004

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Foster, A, Pevsner Architectural Guides: Birmingham, (2016)
Architectural Review in Architectural Review, (1899)
Architectural Review in Architectural Review, (1906)
Anderton, S, Country Life in The Craft of Restoring a Garden: Aber Artro Hall, Vol. 114, (2007)

End of official list entry

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