| Summary : A fortified manor house, built in the early 14th century and extended and remodelled in the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries. A meeting place for oponents of the King's government before the Civil War, then garrisoned for Parliament and frequently raided by Royalists. Restored in the 19th and 20th centuries. The original house included a large hall with the private apartments at one end and the kitchen and ancillary rooms at the other. Some of the original range of buildings, including the kitchen at the western end, were partially demolished in the 16th century and their foundations lie below the present structure. The house stands on a large island, surrounded by a broad moat. Stonework in the moat, visible when the water level is lowered, indicates that it was originally more regular in width, with angled corners forming an octagonal plan. |