Rodmarton Manor

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Coordinates: 51°40′41″N 2°05′01″W / 51.6781°N 2.0837°W / 51.6781; -2.0837
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Rodmarton Manor
Ernest Barnsley
Website
rodmarton-manor.co.uk

Rodmarton Manor is a large country house, in

Sidney Barnsley, his brother, and then by Norman Jewson
, Ernest's son-in-law. All the construction materials were obtained locally, and hand worked by local craftsmen.

The three wings of the house are angled around a central, circular, lawned courtyard. The east wing, originally for servants, has been converted into flats, whilst the central "public" wing was not lived in by the family, instead being used for community teaching and events. Crafts were taught in the building and the vast majority of the furniture was commissioned for the house and built locally. The southern gardens used hedges to create specific spaces, giving the impression of exterior "rooms" next to the house, with an extensive kitchen garden which provided much of the food for the house. The house was described by the designer

Charles Ashbee
as the single best example of the Arts and Crafts movement.

During World War II, the house was used as an evacuation point for a London Catholic school, and a maternity house due to the shortage of midwives.

History

In 1894,

Ernest Barnsley to create the house in that style.[1][2] Biddulph referred to the manor as a "cottage in the country".[3] The Biddulphs originally hoped for a large village house, a focal point for the village community, who would work on craft projects in the house.[4] Barnsley had settled in the Cotswolds in 1893 with his brother, leaving their successful Birmingham architecture firm behind, to focus on traditional crafting methods without machines.[1]

Building began in 1909, using oak from the estate,[1] metalwork from local blacksmiths,[3] and stone quarried locally, brought to the site by a private railway line.[5] Barnsley insisted that no machines would be used, so instead of using a saw powered by steam engine, the wood was hand-sawn in a saw pit. The east wing was completed by 1915, and the Biddulphs moved into them, with the reception rooms finished around the same time. Despite the grandeur of the building, the Biddulph's lived in some small rooms and fitted the large reception rooms for community use.[1] Biddulph also built some cottages at the site of the old manor house at Rodmarton around the same time.[6]

As the Biddulphs were interested in the Arts and Crafts movement, using the manor house to give classes for villagers in crafts such as

woodwork and embroidery. There were also plays and musical events for the villagers, including puppet shows for the children. Construction was paused during World War I and Barnsley died in 1926. The final part of the build was completed between 1926 and 1929[5] under the supervision of his brother, Sidney and his son-in-law, Norman Jewson.[1] The built took a total of 23 years, largely due to the traditional methods being used, but also as no contractor was hired to manage the build.[3]

During World War II, Rodmarton Manor was used as an evacuation point for Sisters of Marie-Auxiliatrice school in Finchley,[7] with over 150 children living there.[5] Biddulph also offered the house rent free to act as a maternity house from 1943 until the end of World War II,[8] due to the shortage of midwives who could attend people at their homes.[9] When Anthony Biddulph took over the house in 1954 on the death of his father, he decided to convert the east wing into flats, living in the "public" wing.[5]

House

The rainwater pipes are embossed with images such as this monkey

Rodmarton Manor is a

quoins are flush. The roof is made of stone slate, with grouped chimneystacks.[2][10]

The north facade has a gabled porch bay which includes an arched doorway with a stone monogram above.[10] On each side of the entrance bay, there are two gables, with bays where the wings are set at an angle. The north-west wing includes a chapel, with a twin-arched loggia and its own porch. The east wing was previously the service wing. The building's rainwater pipes are embossed with animals and flowers.[10]

Inside the Rodmarton Manor, there are 74 rooms of which 19 are bedrooms, all named after local fields. The porch bay leads to the "public" wing, with a long hall which runs for the wing's full length. Off the hall is the

Charles Ashbee as the single best example of the Arts and Crafts movement.[12]

Gardens

The pavilion at the end of the Long Garden

The gardens are Grade II* listed on the

tennis courts,[4] although only one tennis court remains, the others have been converted in a croquet lawn and a swimming pool.[14]

The northern garden includes a small

troughs and staddle stones, surrounded by topiary.[15]

Notes

  1. ^ Comparing average earnings between 1894 and 2015, £5000 is valued at approximately £2,076,000.00 by MeasuringWorth.com

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rodmarton Manor.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Powell, Kenneth (13 August 1999). "A house built on the rock of idealism". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Rodmarton Manor". Historic England. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1448191246
    .
  4. ^ a b c Richardson, Tim (15 June 2012). "Rodmarton Manor: original and still the best". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  5. ^
    ISBN 9781586855314
    .
  6. ^ Baggs, A. P.; Jurica, A. R. J.; Sheils, W. J. (1976). "Rodmarton". British History Online. London: Victoria County History. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  7. ISBN 9781445625706
    .
  8. ^ "Maternity home for Cirencester". Western Daily Press. 25 August 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Cotswold gleaning". Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic. 28 August 1943. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d "Rodmarton Manor - Rodmarton - Gloucestershire - England | British Listed Buildings". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  11. JSTOR 1316209
    .
  12. ^ Ecott, Tim (12 March 2005). "Crafty old Cotswolds". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  13. ^ Historic England, "Rodmarton Manor (1000779)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 21 September 2016
  14. ^
    ISBN 9781781011881
    .
  15. ^ Ross, David. "Rodmarton Manor". Britain Express. Retrieved 26 August 2016.

51°40′41″N 2°05′01″W / 51.6781°N 2.0837°W / 51.6781; -2.0837

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