Docwra Manor

Heritage listing

Details PIRTON HITCHIN ROAD TL 1431 (East side) 7/165 No. 1 (Docwra Manor) 9.6.52 (formerly listed as The Old Hall) - II Remaining wing of a larger house, now extended as a house. Built 1609 for Thomas Docwra (dated armorial plaque formerly on W front reset above principal 1st floor fireplace) presumably as a W parlour-wing to an older probably aisled hall-house on E said to have been burned down at beginning of C19 (Newbery (1983)11). Wing converted to an Inn in C19. Large E extensions in later C20 not of special interest. Limestone rubble and flint walling with red brick corners and moulded limestone windows. N gable roughcast. Masonry walling returns only a short way along each end of the E wall of the wing, the rest being timber framed with close-spaced studs and red brick infill where exposed beside the 2-storeys new extension. A large, 2-storeys crosswing planned with 2 large rooms to each floor and a lobby between them with a staircase at its W end. An original large projecting chimney on W side heated the N room on each floor. The S part unheated until a corresponding brick W chimney added in C18. Entrance now by a single-storey flat roofed brick and flint parapeted porch on W of C19 or C20 date, with arched doorway and double doors. Upper rooms lit by tall 3-lights ovolo-moulded stone mullioned window in upper part of each gable end. Wooden C19 ovolo-moulded 3-light sash window to ground floor of gable at each end. Small 1st floor windows on W side retain their ovolo-moulded stone surrounds but are lacking mullions. Lower sill of one near middle indicates a stair window. Original large chimney has sloping offsets, a cross worked in flints, and a moulded brick cornice. This chimney serves a ground floor stone fireplace with 4-centred arched head and moulded jamb

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.