Fiddleford Manor
| Fiddleford Manor | |
| Dorset | |
|---|---|
 Fiddleford Manor | |
| Location | |
| Location: | 50°55’17"N, 2°17’4"W |
| History | |
| Country house | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | English Heritage |
Fiddleford Manor (also known as Fiddleford Mill)[1] is a mediæval manor house near Sturminster Newton in Dorset. It is thought to have been originally built around 1370 for William Latimer, the sheriff of Somerset and Dorset, after the manor passed to him in 1355.[2] The house is now in the care of English Heritage and opened for the public to visit throughout the year.
There is an adjoining building to the north that continues to serve as a private residence and is not open to the public.[3]
The present day site—set in a T-shape[2]—comprises a two-storey solar and half of the hall to the east of that, both with open timber roofs;[1] the foundations of the west range and an extension of the hall are now visible only as earthworks.[4]
The house is unusual among its class of building in retaining many of its original features[4] despite having undergone many alterations during its 600-year history.[2] It has been described as having "perhaps the most spectacular manor house interior in Dorset."[1]
In the sixteenth century the solar wing was extended to the north and the hall remodeled by architect Thomas White and his wife Anne;[1] the house remained in the White family until at least the time of King Charles I.[4] After the Restoration, the house was bought by Sir Thomas Freke and retained by his descendants, the Pitt-Rivers family; they reduced the length of the hall by six feet: previously it had extended almost to the bank of the River Stour. They also added a new fireplace and ceiling.[4]
By 1956, however, the 18th-century building had been demolished and the original, 14th-century part was derelict; by 1962, only the northern wing remained habitable, and the original section passed into state ownership.[4] The house underwent restoration during the 1970s by the Department for the Environment.[1]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Fiddleford Manor) |
- Fiddleford Manor - English Heritage
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Nikolaus Pevsner: The Buildings of England: Dorset, 1972 Penguin Books ISBN 978-0-300-09598-2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fiddleford Manor: History and research
- ↑ Fiddleford Manor
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 National Heritage List 1013372: Fiddleford Manor