Northwold Manor Reborn : Architecture, Archaeology and Restoration of a Derelict Norfolk House.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rodwell, Warwick.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration.

Historic buildings.

Manors--England.

Manors.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (345 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Havertown : Oxbow Books, Limited, 2024.

Summary:

Northwold Manor Reborn explores the architectural, archaeological, and restorative journey of Northwold Manor, a historic house in Norfolk. Authored by Warwick Rodwell with Diane Gibbs, the book details the manor's historical significance, architectural evolution, and the challenges faced during its restoration from 1955 to 2024. It delves into the manor's medieval origins, subsequent Georgian enhancements, and the decline and eventual revitalization led by new ownership. The narrative provides insights into the architectural styles, restoration techniques, and the socio-historical context of the manor's various ownership eras. Intended for readers interested in architecture, history, and restoration, this meticulously documented account highlights the dedication required to preserve cultural heritage. Generated by AI.

Contents:

Cover

Book Title

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Foreword by Ptolemy Dean, OBE

Preface

Acknowledgements

1 Northwold village and manors

Historic topography of the village

Sources of evidence

Cartographic

Physical remains

Medieval village planning preserved in the landscape

Sites of the medieval manorial farms

Lordships of the manors of Northwold

2 Architectural history of the Manor House: a brief outline

Construction materials

Component parts of the house

Tudor structures

The new house, c. 1660

Extending the house, 1714

Georgianization, 1721-22

Further Georgian improvements, c. 1760-70

West wing reception rooms, 1814

East wing and courtyard ranges

Replanning and improvement, 1850s

Internal compartmentation, 1900s to 1940s

Final modifications, 1952-55

Interlude, 1955-2013

3 Owners and occupants of the Manor House, and their families

Uncertain beginnings

The first Carter era, 1660s-1798

The Kenton-Harvey-Langham era, 1799-1849

The wills of Thomas and Hannah Harvey

Hannah Harvey and the Manby family

The Langham children and the second Carter era, 1849-1919

Tombs of the Carter 'dynasty'

The Fendick, Rudge and Meredith eras, 1920-2013

Fendick, 1920-50

Rudge, 1951-55

Prospective developers, 1956-63

Meredith, 1963-2013

Census records and the Manor House's occupants

4 A fine 'Mansion House' in decline, c. 1880-1955

Glimpses of the house's heyday

The onset of decline

Final demise of the Carter estate, 1919

The Rudges: a vignette of family life at the Manor House, 1952-55

Demolition threatens: abandonment and decay

5 The struggle to save the Manor House, 1955-2014

False hopes for restoration

Action by the Local Planning Authority

1973-2001

2002-2013

Early encounters with Northwold.

Becoming the new owners of the house

6 A new beginning and fresh problems, 2014

Search for a temporary home

Starting work on site

Penetrating the wilderness

Clearing the house and letting in light

Tackling the courtyard ranges

Taking stock and drawing plans

Another legal intervention

7 Restoring the house, 2014-24: an overview

Concepts of restoration

A scheme for restoring the Manor House

The question of 'style'

Augmenting the house to facilitate servicing

New kitchen

Adding a utility room and bathrooms

The courtyard ranges

Restoration and enlargement of the west wing

Provision of services

Mains electricity supply and wiring

Water supply from wells

Mains water supply and plumbing

Heating

Foul drainage

Surface water drainage

8 The courtyard ranges: investigation and restoration

Archaeology of the Tudor period

The primary 'cottage'

A potential stair-turret and a lost hall?

Exterior

North range

East range

Interior

Ground floor

First floor

Cellar

New west courtyard range (kitchen)

9 Central block: investigation and restoration

The archaeology of the north façade

Roof

Restoration

Ground-floor rooms

Inner hall

Green dining room, former parlour

Breakfast room, former kitchen

Passage and pantry, former 'game room'

Garden privy and store

First-floor rooms

Church bedroom, former 'kitchen chamber'

Bathroom, former storeroom

The gallery, former 'hall chamber'

Balcony bedroom, former 'parlour chamber'

Second-floor rooms (attics)

Cellars

Western cellar

Southern cellar

New service rooms and facilities

10 West wing: investigation, restoration and enlargement

North elevation

West elevation

South elevation

Entrance hall and staircase.

Red drawing room (former dining room-cum-ballroom)

Orangery (ruin)

Stairwell and landing

Porch chamber

Principal ('Chinese') bedroom (former drawing room)

Transformation

From orangery to library

First-floor service rooms

Two studies and an octagonal stair-tower

Design and construction

Lower study

Upper study

Stair-tower

11 The garden and grounds

Historic boundaries, spaces and functions

Boundaries of the property

Internal garden walls

Early archaeological features

Evolution of the garden and its structures

Evidence from maps

The Manor House plot

Constructing the terrace, parterre garden and pergola

Adding a canal, bridge and fountains

Canal and bridge

Axial path and fountains

Fountain courtyard

Column courtyard

Greenhouse-vinery

The mount

The obelisk

Entrance yard and its structures

Well 1

Stable yard and its structures

Outbuildings and former stable block

Garden and fountain

Walled kitchen garden

Well 4

Replanting the gardens

12 Northwold Manor reborn: discussion and summary

The manors of Northwold

Sixteenth-century origins

The seventeenth-century house

Ownership and date

Architectural composition

Eighteenth-century remodelling

First Georgian phase, 1714

Second Georgian phase, 1721-22

Third Georgian phase, c. 1760s-70s

Regency aggrandizement: 'The Mansion House', c. 1800-50

Setting the social scene

The Regency reception rooms

A predilection for paired doors and axial vistas

Further nineteenth-century works, c. 1850-1900

Twentieth-century decline

The final years of Carter occupation

The Fendick era

The Rudge era

The Meredith era

13 Envoi: reflections on the manorial odyssey

Returning to ancestral East Anglia

From derelict pile to delightful home.

Public and professional interest

Fixtures and fittings

Furnishing the house

National events and festivities

Trials and tribulations

Spying by drone

Dodging bullets

The 'Narnia' lamp-post

Saga of the Chinese wallpaper

The Covid-19 interlude

Appendix 1: George West's poem, A Fragment, 1858

Appendix 2: Transcription of the 'Inventory of Richard Carter of Northwold, gentleman, 1678'

Appendix 3: The restoration team and contractors employed at Northwold Manor, 2014-24

Notes to chapters

Abbreviations and bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

ISBN:

9798888571354

OCLC:

1446134228