Listed Building record MDO10305 - Manor House, Holwell

Country House of two stories and attic dating from 16th century with considerable rebuilding in 1889. Built of coursed, squared rubble with gable-ended roof with stacks in various positions. Stone mullioned windows of 4-lights to the first 2 storeys but of 3-lights in the porch and gabled dormers. 19th century alteration included reset medieval figure of woman in flowing robes in west end wall. 16th century plaster frieze in internal west end of south range.

According to Coker, the house was the principal lodge of the Forest of Blackmore, being held by William de Brett and his successors on the King's Forester of Blackmore. The house subsequently passed to the Abbey of Abbotsbury upon the suppression of which it was purchased by Sir Giles Strangways, and sold at a later date to James Harron who was living there in Cokers time. <1>

Manor house, ST 68931040, of 16th century origin, largely rebuilt 1889. It is surrounded on three sides by the remains of Medieval moat between 15 and 20 feet wide and up to 4 feet deep. A projection at the east end of the south side is probably modern, and the south west corner has been turned into a water garden. <3>

The 'Manor House' is externally a 19th century re-construction and is not outstanding.

The formerly dry east and south arms of the moat have been filled in and levelled, and replaced by two ornamental waterfilled ponds, which are vertical-sided and sharply rectangular. The west arm remains water-filled and a now-dry vestige of the north arm extends from the north west corner. The moat formerly measured, overall, some 110.0m east-west by 125.0m transversely, the arms being 4.0 to 6.0m in width. The remains are in poor condition and much overgrown. <4>

Published 1:2500 AM Survey revised.

<1> 1898, Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries 6, 266-7 (Serial). SDO17518.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1923-33, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch three, 1927 (Map). SDO11595.

(ST 68911040) Manor House (NR) Moat (NR)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 121 (Monograph). SDO146.

<4> Phillips, A S, Various, Field Investigators Comments ASP, F1 ASP 24 11 77 (Unpublished document). SWX3817.

<5> Upton, K L, 1978, The Moated Sites of Dorset, 21-2 (Unpublished document). SDO14051.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199540 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 18 2022 10:05AM