 Owlpen Manor
This charming little Tudor house is the essence of romanticism and evocativeness.
Snuggled well into a densely wooded valley under the edge of the Cotswolds,
Owlpen Manor is an unexpected treasure that has somehow managed to remain
encapsulated in its own peaceful and secluded time warp. When development
of the present house first started over 500 years ago, the de Olepenne
family had been settled in the manor since Saxon times. As landowners
and ecclesiastical benefactors, the medieval family was well-respected
locally and reasonably secure, suggesting that an earlier dwelling house
had existed on the site.
When the male line ended in 1464, Owlpen Manor passed into the Daunt family following the marriage between
Margery de Olepenne and John Daunt. It was the next two generations who
were largely responsible for the building of the manor house, extending
and remodelling the core as their wealth increased from Irish land owning
interests. Now firmly established in Ireland, the Daunts were using Owlpen
Manor purely as a mainland base and by the early 1600s the Cotswold house
was suffering from neglect. Enjoying a brief respite from the spreading
decay, Owlpen Manor was extensively restored and modernised during the time
of the last family members to live in the house.
Detailed accounts exist of the works undertaken by Thomas Daunt in the early 18th century,
and remarkably little has altered since his time. During the 1840s a
grand Georgian mansion was built at the far end of estate for the Stoughton
family, who had recently acquired Owlpen through marriage, but considered
the old manor house far too outdated and uncomfortable to fit in with
their lifestyle.
Devastated by the collapse of the cloth industry, the population of Owlpen declined, and the abandoned
estate gradually fell into dilapidation until popular interest in antiquated
properties became fashionable early in the 20th century.
Already touched by the evolving Arts and Crafts movement, the Cotswolds
was home to many followers of the late William Morris. Inspired by the
prospect of improving Owlpen Manor in this tradition, Norman Jewson
bought part of the estate in 1925 and spent the next year reviving,
preserving and repairing this wonderful, but tired, old property. Sold
by Jewson on completion of his works, Owlpen Manor once again became a lively
family home where hospitality was the order of the day, especially to
the literary world and, in particular, to the many members of the Bloomsbury group.
Today owned and lived in by the Mander family, themselves patrons of the arts, Owlpen Manor has
come full circle and is again part of a thriving estate, with the old
grist mill, court house and weavers' cottages all contributing in very
different roles to the estate's revenue. The delight of discovering this
ancient little gem in its idyllic setting is only the beginning of the
magical experience. A house with a history divided between abandoned neglect
and astoundingly sympathetic restoration, a home full of family treasures
happily co-existing with the later Arts and Crafts influence, and a grand
old manor that has received many distinguished visitors, three of whom
insist on maintaining spiritual contact. An elegant lady, dressed in a
fur-trimmed gown and wimple has been seen walking in the Great Chamber
on a number of occasions, and is thought to be Queen Margaret of Anjou
who first visited Owlpen in 1471. |
