Little Sodbury Manor Little Sodbury, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

ST 78 SE LITTLE SODBURY

8/94 Little Sodbury Manor 17.9.52 G.V. I

Manor house. Early C15 for the Stanshaw family; altered and extended late C15/ early C16 for John Walsh and early - mid C17 for Henry and Edward Stephens; partly restored early C18 after a storm and extensively restored c.1913-1920 by Sir Harold Brakspear for Lord Grosvenor and Baron de Tuyll. Rendered rubble with freestone dressings and quoins; Cotswold stone slate roofs with coped raised verges on kneelers; ashlar square and diagonal stacks. Asymmetrical and irregular Tudor manor house aligned north - south: in the centre the C15 hall with its cross passage and porch at the south end; to the south east is the C15/ C16 kitchen and to the south west an early C16 wing, beyond and between are later extensions; to the north and north west of the hall is the former solar wing, remodelled in the C17 and C20 centuries, but possibly incorporating C16 work. Hall and porch: 2 storeys; two restored 2-light windows with 4-centred heads and under-linked hood moulds; 2 storey gabled projecting porch with diagonal buttresses, a moulded 4-centred doorway and a 2-light casement window with cinquefoil heads above. Extending from the porch is an early C16 wing of 2 storeys and 5 bays with a further bay in a cross wing at the south end: mixture of 2- and 3-light casement windows some with plain mullions and in architraves and some with ovolo moulded mullions and under dripmoulds; central 1-2-1-light oriel window with a pierced parapet and a moulded cill; 4 centred heads to the oriel lights and to the first floor windows to the right, cusping to window in cross wing. Behind the north end of the south wing can be seen the pyramidal roof of the stair tower. Single storey and attic service and office wing extends further south. Projecting to the north west of the hall is a 2 storey,5 bay early Cl7 wing: 2-light cross and casement windows with ovolo moulded mullions and under continuous dripmould to right. Projecting beyond and setback is rear of north front: paired multi-pane sash windows. North (entrance elevation is part of C15/C16 house, extensively remodelled and consisting of 2 storeys and attics in 3 gables which are surmounted by stacks: 7 windows on ground and 6 on frist floor, 2- and 3-light cross and casement windows, both in plain architraves and with ovolo moulded mullions and surrounds. Central panelled door flanked by tall single lights. Interior. Hall: 4 bay arch- braced collar beam roof supported on carved corbels, with 4 tiers of carved windbraces; restored 4-centred fireplace with carved spandrels; at south end are timber framed screens with traceried heads, C15 to left, restored to right, above an internal jetty supports a timber framed screen; at the upper (north) end are 2 restored arches of east and west oriels, panelled soffit to east and grotesque mask of squint over. Parlour/sitting room; restored, framed ceiling with classical motifs in plaster; Gothic style fireplace. Entrance hall and drawing room: C18 panelling, drawing room restored. Staircase: c.1635 dog-leg stair with turned balusters and pendants, arcaded approach of Corinthian columns on newel posts; two 4-centred doorways with enriched spandrels, plank studded doors. Dining room: early C17 panelling, reassembled from other parts of the house, figure carving in the upper parts. Oriel room: early C17 ashlar fireplace with initials of Edward Stephens and his wife (ESA), 4-centred head and carved frieze. Porch room: early C17 panelling, fireplace with 4-centred head and Henry Stephens' initials. Passage room: C17 panelling and fireplace with 4-centred head. (Country Life, 7.X.22. Verey D, The Buildings of England : Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds, 1970).

Listing NGR: ST7598082897