Barnston Manor should not be confused with Branston Manor.
| Barnston Manor | |
| Building Type: | Manor house |
| Classification: | Grade I |
| Location: | Church Knowle, Dorset, England |
| Location Country: | United Kingdom |
| Start Date: | 13th century |
| Material: | Stone |
| Status: | Complete |
Barnston Manor is a 13th-century manor house and farm near Church Knowle in Dorset, England. The house is a Grade I listed building, and some farm buildings at the property are also Grade II listed.
Barnston Manor was built in the 13th century, around 0.75miles from Church Knowle in Dorset, England.[1] It is on the site of a former Saxon house, which may also have been preceded by a Roman house on the site.[2] Barnston Manor is believed to be one of the oldest houses in Dorset. It has been owned by the same family for 700 years;[3] in the 16th-century it was owned by local MP John Clavell, and in the 17th-century it was lived in by his descendants, until they built Smedmore House.[2]
One chimney in the house is believed to have been added in the 15th century.[1] In the 16th century, Barnston Manor was expanded with the addition of a west wing,[1] as well as stone fireplaces. Since the 16th century, there have been no major upgrades to the building.[1] The former hall in the east wing has been converted into a kitchen and a dairy.[1] The north wing was formerly a chantry chapel, and contains a memorial to the Clavell family.[2] It is believed that the house had a garderobe wing, but this no longer exists. It is also believed to have had a gatehouse and enclosed courtyard until the 19th-century.[4] Barnston Manor contains around 3.5acres of land.[3]
Barnston Manor was later used as a farm;[1] a farm building and two barns on the estate are Grade II listed buildings.[3] In 1959, Barnston Manor became a Grade I listed building. In 2018, the building was put up for sale for £1.5 million.[3]
Barnston Manor is built in a T-shape.[1] It is built from rubble stone, with ashlar for the outside front walls, and a slate roof. It is architecturally similar to Old Soar Manor in Kent.[5] The house contains a number of 13th century windows,[1] and the south wing is designed as to maximise light.[5] The east wing has a 16th-century stone fireplace, a stone spiral staircase, and 16th-century timbers in the roof. The height of the hall was reduced in the 16th century.[5] The timbers in the west wing roof have been replaced, and the west wing walls are now covered in plaster.[1]