Description

BIRTSMORTON CP -
SO 83 NW
5/22 Birtsmorton Court
11.8.52
GV I

Moated manor house. Late C16 with C14 remains, C18 and C19 alterations
and C20 additions. Stone, brick and timber-framing with tile roofs.
Built around a courtyard. The east, entrance, facade is mostly early C20
re-using earlier brick and timber and has an earlier stone base. It is of
two storeys with attic and is framed in square panels. It has a three-bay
centre with a gabled dormer to the central bay, and a cross-wing to each
side with diagonal bracing to the gable. A Tudor-arched doorway to the
right of the second bay is approached by a C20 bridge over the moat.
Chimney at left, between central first and second bays, and at left of
right-hand wing. To the right is a gable of a C17 timber-framed range on
an older stone base. This is framed in square panels and jettied. Its
north wall has two projecting stone chimney stacks with brick caps. Adjoin-
ing to the west is a C14 stone gateway with a segmental arch moulded in two
orders with added brick battlements and a C19 bridge. The courtyard is
entered from this gateway. Ahead, on the south side, is the hall which has
some exposed timber-framing. Above the pointed timber doorway is a window
lighting the screens gallery. To the right is a C17 timber window of five
lights with two transoms. To the left of the doorway is a range of three
bays and two storeys in stone, on the site of the service wing. This has
2-light mullioned windows. The south wall of the hall, facing the moat,
has a two-storey gabled timber-framed bay window on each side of a stone
stack with brick shafts. Adjoining to the left (west) are two bays of the
end wall of a C18 brick building which closes the west side of the courtyard.
This is partly a casing of the C16 timber-framed solar wing. Interior:
inserted floor removed from hall in C20. The screens gallery is supported
on round timber posts. The front incorporates three large plaster panels
with late C16 shields of arms. The plaster ceiling of the hall has moulded
ribs, roses, and fleur de lis ornament. Large wall-posts are set in front
of the close-studded high end wall. The south room of the west, or solar,
wing, is lined with late C16 oak panelling and has a decorated plaster ceiling.
The panelling is divided by Corinthian pilasters and has a frieze with the
painted shields of arms of the neighbouring gentry. A carved overmantel has
three round-headed panels with painted shields of arms. On the first floor
is a fragment of wall painting of a similar date.

Listing NGR: SO8006235447

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Birtsmorton Court at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q4917125

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)