Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

April 1987. Listed, Grade II.
Listing Description:
Late 16th - early 17th century, much restored. Walls rendered over plinth. Plaintile roof two storeys and attics. Main range north-south, two gabled crosswings to east. Windows with drip moulds or tiled hoods to represent pediments. Large offcentre ridge stack, with four linked octagonal shafts on moulded bases. Similar two shaft gable stack on southern cross wing. Terracotta gable finials. Canted bay window in south wall. Two old entrance doors in west wall, one in gabled porch, other pedimented with Doric columns. Later north extensions.
Interior not seen but said by owner to have panelled room.
Information from (S1).
Location supplied by [1].
E. Rose (NAU), 8 June 1987.

June 2009.
(S2) shows the wood panelled drawing room referred to by [1]. The house has fallen into disrepair and requires significant restoration. A moat partially remains to the rear. The main entrance hall includes a stained glass leaded window.
H. White (NLA), 11 June 2009.

December 2010. Planning application.
See (S3) for details of proposals to renovate the Manor House.
S. Howard (HES), 6 April 2011.

September 2011. Site visit
Works have begun and all the pebbledash has been removed to reveal a timber farme to most of the west side, the north cross wing and part of west side. The rest: south cross wing, the porch, the west outshut and some underbuilding of clay lump. This replaces areas where the frame has failed. The windows of differing dates are surmounted by pedimental hoods of timber with plaintiles roughly laid on top The frame is of quite widely spaced stud work with massive mid rails spanning between principal postswhich have very wide jowls. The plan was originally an L with the south wing a later adjunct. All the other floor and tie beams are ovolo-moulded with ogee and nicked stops. The roofs are of clasped purlins with reduced principals and lower set of purlins butt-jointed; cambered collars to main roof and occasional single straight wind braces. The principal rafters are separated from the tie beams except at gable ends. Speaks of date in the first half of the 17th century. High status is suggested by four octagonal chimney shafts to main off centre axial stack and two similar shafts to south wing.
Several ovolo-moulded mullion windows of which many have been inserted. Many of the ovolo-moulded transverse beams are not in their original positions as indicated by the positions of, or lack of, chamfer stops. These things suggest that the building incorporates a lot of of re-used timbers. However, there is no indication that these re-used timbers come from a significantly earlier building suggesting the possibility of a radical change of plan during building owing perhaps to a structural failure or collapse.
The buildng contains a late 19th-century staircase and an original winding stair in the north west corner.The ground floor room of the north cross wing has waincot typically Jacobean and appears to be in situ. It blocks an original mullion window so must post date the construction of the house by very few years as is typical of early 17th century. It has a fluted cornice interrupted by occasional little consoles and there is an ornate chimneypiece in the manner of a Jacobean craftsman but probably of 19th-century date incorporating some original bits.
There is some stained glass which contains an piece of medieval glass depicting a bishop.
Nebuly coat of arms carved to doorway spandrels and family has been identified.
Curious moulded brick finials to the gables appear to be 19th century.
The present principal doorway to a porch on the north west side has original heavily moulded frame the whole contained within a Victorian moulded brick piece of twisted shafts supporting bell capitals.
Jeckyll fireplace on south side of main stack.
Photos in image library.
See (S3) for plans etc.
S. Heywood (HES), 15 September 2011.

Monument Types

• HOUSE (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)
• TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds

• STAINED GLASS (WINDOW) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FIRE GRATE (19th Century - 1870 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Saham Toney (Parish Summary)