The Manor is steeped in history that stems from before it was first recorded in 872AD in Alfred The Great's Will, the first of the 8 British monarchs who were known to own it, including Edward The Confessor, William The Conqueror, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Charles I. It is understood that Alfred The Great's mother owned the manor before him and that she had inherited it from her Father.
Included in the rich history, James I reviewed his troops on Arreton Down just behind us and his son, Charles I, did the same on our front lawns, both Kings enjoying the manor frequently. Charles I enjoyed relaxing here as well as acting as 'Judge and Jury' in our Court Room during his reign and hid in a cupboard on our first floor in The Panelled Room when troops came searching for him from Carisbrooke Castle.
Queen Victoria graced us with planting a conifer tree on our front lawn and would frequent the manor and its private chapel, now our local church, the medieval St.George's, to attend the grave of Elizabeth Wallbridge. Queen Mary and HRH Prince Philip were also known to enjoy visiting here.
The Manor was given to the Quarr Abbey monks who farmed the land for nearly 400 years, one of our stone floors still has dips in its flagstones where the monks prayed. In 1525, Henry VIII reclaimed the house from the monks as it owned a considerable amount of land all the way up to Fishbourne. The Manor has always been a home in its long history and architecturally it has changed very little since the 1590's and is truly a very handsome and exceptionally fine example of Elizabethan and Jacobean manorial architecture.
For more Historical information, please visit our Wikipedia page: