Old Manor Cottage
My home since 1999
Above left : Roadside view c 2014. Note : the crudely inserted left hand external doorway with higher hood mould etc - probably added when cottage divided into two c1870.
Above right : View from scaffold on the Old Rectory and prior to re-thatching the front slope
Left : Photograph of rear wing c. mid 1960's.
Sketches by unknown artist of rear & front elevations
Above : Maps of various periods showing that rear wing was added before 1788. There also appears to have been another building attached to the east end (see 1843 Tithe map above & photo below)
Above : Extract from
Conjectural evolution of the cottage
Probably starting as a single storey Dorset Long House and gradually being converted into a two storey building and in this case, with a rear wing added.
Most internal timber beams and other features point to a date of late C16th although an original cottage may have been on the site for far longer.
Unfortunately, no deeds can be traced and written records appear to be non existent.
Note the increase in height visible on the gable ends and the straight joint on the front elevation.
With the Old (original) Manor House next door burning down in 1634, the cottage may have been "upgraded" with the "recycled" Hamstone window dressings, hood moulds over the windows and the mullioned stone windows themselves - some of which are obviously recycled as they do not fit together too well in some places.
Latter in the latter part of the C19th, the cottage was split into two dwellings (probably with the building of Steepleton Manor next door in 1870) with the east front door being rather crudely inserted and a new Victorian staircase added at the east end. The cottage was part of the Steepleton Estate and served as staff accommodation for the new Manor House.
Above : Enlarged extract from Pouncey's 1857 lithograph. There appears to have been another single storey building attached to the east end gable - (see outline on gable in right hand photograph below). This seems to have been removed with the building of the new Manor House in 1870 as the 1887 OS map above shows.
Left : Central chimney (west face)
Above : Ditto (east face) - both showing former line of roof before heightening.
Above : West gable viewed from inside roofspace again showing former line of roof and also to left of stack a former window ? (photos 3/2022)
Above : Grade II listing : Cottage was originally "Manor Cottage" (1950's listing) The Old has been added fairly recently it seems.
Site Finds :
Finds on site mainly from our renovations 1999/2000 : Reviewed by Nessie (Dorset Diggers ) archeologist Nov 2011
Pottery shards range from C10-15th with large black shard being the earliest.
Stone motif on east end gable (fleury de lys) - similar to motif below bell on Nappers Mite in Dorchester putting date at late c16 - very early c17th (probably recycled from original Manor House destroyed by fire in 1634).
Below : Selection of finds :
George II (1727-60) coin also found in garden. Selection of horseshoes (now on rear wall)
