Description

ST 83 SW MERE WOODLANDS ROAD (west side)

2/89 Woodlands Manor

6.1.66

I

Manor house. Chapel mid C14, hall block c.1370-1380 for Thomas Doddington, east range mid C15; much internal modification in C16 and C18; purchased by Matthew Andrews 1705, passed to Meyrick family late C18 and remained in this family until mid C20; major restoration by Revd F Meyrick-Jones from 1922. Limestone rubble, large flush greensand quoins, ashlar stacks, plain tile roof, replacing stone slate removed in 1888. Main east-west hall range with 2-storey porch; service wing at right angles to right, and chapel range set back, left, parallel with hall. A very complete late medieval small scale manor house brought back to its C17 state in the C20. South front has full-height 2-light cusped square hooded window and similar smaller 2-light without transom to right small gable stack, left, with finial; then moulded arched doorway under 2-light hollow chamfer to stopped hood in coped gable with cross-saddle to porch; small single light set high on porch return to left. Right is gabled end of service range in 2 storeys with 3-light casement to stopped hood at each level; coped gable to cross-saddle. Right return facing east, in 2 storeys with various 2 and 4-light casements, including small, 2-light at eaves level above moulded arched doorway centrally; to left is external eaves stack to short ashlar top and large gable stack to right; this north gable plain, but roof swept down to addition on right, facing chapel. Left of main hall range is, swept down roof and plank entry to single storey unit. Chapel block is 2-storey with coped gables and at west end a double ashlar stack with cylindrical terminals. East front has 3-light Perpendicular window over 2-light hollow chamfer mullion C16 window with transom and stopped hoodmould; above this a flush arch with voussoirs and key- stone possibly head to an earlier opening. North front complex; at ground floor a fine plank and stud square-headed door brought in, in C20; 2-light and 3-light 4-centred headed casements with hoods, a small 2-storey buttress between these. At upper floor a 3-light C14 reticulated window with square head and moulded hood to deep drops and a 2-light C15 cusped casement with transom and hood; between these a moulded pointed door opening with C17 door to stone slab balcony and wooden balustrade; this was originally the chapel access, by means of an external staircase. Diagonal buttresses with 3 offsets at north east and north west corners. Return gable plain except for external stack. Windows with beading, mostly of C20. Interior: from porch entry to staircase hall with Jacobean wooden stair with C17 panelling below solid string with square turned balusters, newel and heavy handrail; right is room with partition in panel and muntin and 4-centred head to door. Left of entry is heavy panel and muntin screen with rail, plank and nail-head door with decorative strap hinges in 4-centred opening gives to: Hall with 6-bay arch-braced collar roof and 3 tiers of cusped wind bracing to 3 chamfered and stopped purlins; alternate trusses have paired curved braces from collar to principals, and including the two wall trusses; over screen is projecting gallery with front of linen-fold panelling to front, carried on large moulded and stopped beam; under gallery and above screen an internal 4-light window. At west end a very wide stone moulded cambered arch fireplace, and, to its right, a square-headed wide plank and nail-head door to a wood lintel. North side of hall has 2-light window to right, corresponding to that on south side; far left is triple-mould pointed arched opening to base of stone stair, opposite a plank and batten door to 4-centred head in moulded square stone doorcase, giving to lower chapel, or Book Room which has a splendid stone Elizabethan fireplace with Ionic columns and richly modelled surround and entablature, carrying a coat of arms as overmantel, flanked by Corinthian columns, rising to grape and vine-leaf frieze to geometrical embellished plaster ceiling. Stone flag floor. Above is the former Chapel with plastered barrel roof in 3 bays, including one brattished and embellished tie-beam; large Elizabethan/Jacobean stone fireplace with fluted columns to unusual decorated Doric caps, and podia, carrying frieze with triglyphs, ox-heads and rosettes under cornice with fluting, and two pairs of scrolls; rich internal architrave surround. The upper room to Porch has arch-braced roof, on one wall, beside a small single light, a linear horse's head on plaster in red paint. Kitchen has very heavy bressummer fire opening. Floors are stone flagged to hall, entrance, kitchen and some adjoining rooms; chapel room has small area of medieval tiles. The building was in decayed state in the late C19, and owes its present state mainly to the substantial work of the early C20; before this the architect C E Ponting and the Wiltshire Archaeo- logical Society had been instrumental, in the late 1880's, in preventing loss of much of the building through demolition. In assessing the rich interior detail it is important to see the Revd F Meyrick-Jones' articles in Country Life, explaining the extent of his restoration from 1922 onwards. (Country Life, Vol CL: 1924 - May 10 and flay 17: also Margaret Wood, The English Medieval House, 1965; passim).

Listing NGR: ST8150431174

External Links

• Wikidata Q17529695

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