Shapwick Manor
Shapwick Manor at Shapwick in the English county of Somerset is a medieval manor house which was rebuilt in the early 17th century. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1]
| Shapwick Manor | |
|---|---|
  Location of Shapwick Manor in Somerset | |
| Location | Shapwick, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51.1422°N 2.8341°W |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name: Shapwick Manor | |
| Designated | 29 March 1963[1] |
| Reference no. | 1190512 |
It is not to be confused with Shapwick House, now a private hotel, to the north of the village.
History
The manor of Shapwick originally belonged to Glastonbury Abbey, forming part of its Pouholt (Polden) estate in 729.[2] The house was built for the almoner of Glastonbury Abbey in the Middle Ages.[1] A survey in 1327 includes a 5 acres (2.0 ha) garden, moat and fishponds.[3]
The manor house (which was previously known as Down House) dates to around 1475; originally it was moated but the moat was filled in during the rebuilding in the first quarter of the 17th century.[4][5]
It was rebuilt in the 17th century for Henry Bull an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1660 and 1692. Further extension and restoration of the house took place in the 19th century.[1]
During World War I and II the house was used as a convalescent home for injured servicemen.[6]
Between 1956 and 1981 it was a boarding house for boys at Millfield School.[7]
Architecture
The two-storey stone building has asymmetrical frontage with a glazed veranda supported on iron columns.[1]
The stable block, which was built in the 17th century, is also Grade II listed.[8] The dovecote is medieval but was restored in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a new roof being installed in the 20th century.[9]
The stone screen and flanking walls were built around 1658.[10]
References
- "Shapwick Manor". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- Bush, Robin (1994). Somerset: The Complete Guide. Dovecote Press. p. 178. ISBN 1-874336-26-1.
- Bond, James (1998). Somerset Parks and Gardens. Somerset Books. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-86183-465-5.
- "Shapwick Manor". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- "History of Shapwick". Shapwick Village. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- "Unusual inhabitants of Shapwick House". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- "Shapwick - Boys". Millfield School. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- "Stable block with coach house to Shapwick Manor". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- "Dovecote in grounds of Shapwick Manor". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- "Stone screen and flanking sections of walling enclosing former parterre on frontage of Shapwick Manor". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
Further reading
- Aston, Mick; Gerrard, Christopher (2013). Interpreting the English Village: Landscape and Community at Shapwick, Somerset. Windgather Press. ISBN 978-1905119455.