TWO SOMEB ._ SET MANOR HOUSES
GREENHAM BARTON and GOLD E N MANOR
Gre
Sti cs But w he n th at h a b ee n sa id , it mu st be
co n fesse d that th e t wo h ou ses assoc iat ed in th is a rt icl e h ave ve r y littl e e lse in co mm o n. G r ee nh am , abl y r es t or ed b y
M r. a nd M rs Fry , was till r ece n t ly a fa rm, as Go lde n is: b ut
wh er eas Go ld en, no thi ng t o look at o ut s ide, h as p r eserve d its ve ry r em ar kable in t e ri or , Gree nh am p r esen t ed onl y ex t eri or fea tur es of a n y n ot e unti l M r. and Irs. F r y had di se m bo well ed t he h ouse
G r ee nh a m co ns is t ed o f thr ee r an ges of bui ldin gs encl os in g
a n a rr ow co ur t, a nd j o in ed on th e fo u rth sid e by a p oint ed g at eway Of th ese bui ldin gs that fac ing wes t (Fig. 2) is th e mos t imp o in g , a nd d ate , m os t lik ely, f r om cil·ca 1400, t h ou g h
t he h a ll w ind ows t o th e r ig ht of th e p or c h t owe r a re ea rl y Tud or i nse rt io ns A r a nge run n in g bac k at th e no rth end co nt a in s fea tu res of a ye t earlier pe r io d , as did t he east ra nge on th e op posi te sid e of t he co urt, whi ch unfo rt u n at ely it has bee n found necessa r y to demo lis h The e ea rli er b uildin gs ar e , n o d oubt, du e t o th e d e Grind leh am (Gr ee nham) fami ly, seat ed h er e in 12 35 and unti l th e mid d le of th e follo w in g ce ntury. A t th at tim e Gr ee nh a m , Kittisfo rd , an d Co th ayth e thr ee m an or s of th e va lleyp asse d t o th e Blue ( fa mi ly In 1404 J ohn Blue t m arri ed Ag n es Bea up ayne , an h ei ress of orth P et h erto n ; an d th eir s on acquir ed Ho lco m be R og u s , n ea r by in D evon, by m a rri age , t o whi ch h o use he th er eu p on m oved I t see m s pr oba b le , th er efore , t ha t th e h all and p orch of Gr ee nh am we r e buil t b y J ohn Blu et circa 140 4. A ce nt ur y lat er h is ha ll was g ive n a fi at cei lin g , wit h r oo ms above, and, p ossibl y , th e p or ch t owe r w as raise d t o g ive access t o t he m. A t so m e su bse qu ent d at e, h oweve r , th e upp er s t orey disapp ea r ed an d t h e ex is tin g rid ge r oof w as put on ; also th e t ow er w as l ower ed and cove r ed with a gabl e Th e r ecen t r eco n st ru cti on h as r es t or ed t he t owe r , th ou g h n ot t o its orig inal h eig ht , and th e illu s t rati on s s h ow ho w cl eve rl y M r. and M r s F r y h ave r ehab ilit at ed th e hall an d a dj oining pa rl our. " J acobe an " ce ilin gs, exec ut e d b y M r. Small co rn of Bath, h ave b ee n in sert ed , w it h excell ent eff ect. It was m ost unfo rtun at e th at th e eco n omi c cri sis ove rt oo k th em w h en th e wo r k w as sca rcely co mpl et ed, i n co nsequ ence of w h ic h th e h ous e is at p r ese nt u nocc u p ied , aw aitin g so m e n ew successor t o G r ee nh am s and Blu et s
This is a lso th e p os ition of G old en Ma nor , w hi ch is closely ass ocia t ed w ith two his t oric