Seechem Manor, Alvechurch, Worcestershire

Description

SP 07 SE ALVECHURCH

7/4 Seechem

The entry shall be amended to read:

SP 07 SE ALVECHURCH -

1655-0/7/4 Seechem Manor
16/07/86

- II*

House. Late C15 [dendro-dated 1474]; extended and remodelled circa late C16 [cross-wing
dendro-dated 1595]; remodelled again circa early to mid C17, C18 and circa 1840.
Timber-framed, partly stuccoed and partly rebuilt in brick. Clay plain tile roofs with gabled
ends, parlour wing with deep verges with ornate pierced bargeboards. Brick lateral and axial
stacks with diagonally-set shafts. PLAN: T-shaped plan..2-bay open hall, the low end
cross-wing demolished, the solar cross-wing replaced by parlour cross-wing in circa late C16,
when a floor and stack were inserted into the open hall. The parlour cross-wing, originally of
five bays at least [now reduced to four bays], was remodelled in early to mid C17.
Timber-frame partly replaced in brick in C18 and parlour cross-wing refashioned in circa 1840.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attic. N.E. front: four framed bays with exposed timber-framing,
close-studded on ground floor, square-framing above with tension-braces and 5-light moulded
mullion window under eaves to right, ground floor window below and first floor window to
left blocked, small 2-light casement to ground floor on left; to left of centre stuccoed projecting
gabled bay with ornate openwork bargeboards, deeply chamfered window openings, small
single-light attic window and 4-light mullion-transom first floor window with hoodmould,
below which is porch with gabled parapet, diagonal buttresses with set-offs, chamfered pointed
arch with hoodmould and lancets to sides. The right-hand [N.W.] gable end has similar
bargeboards and close-studding in the gable, 4-light mullion-transom first floor window with
hoodmould and canted bay window on first floor; right-hand return a large lateral brick stack
with stone quoins, set-offs and two diagonally-set shafts; wing to right [S.W.], former hall,
painted brick with brick dentil eaves, two 3-light casements with glazing bars in segmentally
arched openings and central doorway with C19 gabled canopy. S.E. elevation has two small
single-light windows, large 3-light window to right and two gabled dormers, all with
small-paned casements; doorways to left and right with gabled canopies; gabled cross-wing on
right with exposed truss and storey-posts at comers. INTERIOR: Substantial remains of
carpentry and joinery from all principal building phases. Kitchen and hall have inserted floor
in former open hall with chamfered axial ceiling beams with step stops in the kitchen and
convex stops in the hall and large axial stack between the two rooms with large back-to-back
fireplaces with sandstone jambs and timber bressumers, the hall's with moulded shelf [and
inside later inserted hood made from re-used panelling], panelled doors to left and right, another
panelled door to stairhall with carved doorhead and corner cupboards. The inserted stack in the
hall has a curing chamber. Good circa early C18 open-well staircase rising to attic with turned
balusters, moulded handrail and square newels with ball-finials. Great chamber over parlour has
chamfered ceiling beam with straight-cut stops and central boss, C17 panelling, evidence of
internal porch and fireplace with fine overmantel with arched panels and Tuscan engaged
colonnettes. Cross-wing attics have exposed queen-post roof structure with short straight
wind-braces and staggered purlins. Medieval smoke-blackened roof structure exposed in hall
chambers; 2-bay hall has central open truss and truss at high end with arch-braced cambered
tie-beam, raking struts and curved wind-braces, queen-post truss at low end of hall. NOTE:
Seechem Manor was formerly known as Rowney Green House. It is not known who built the
Medieval house, but it came into the possession of the Milward family in the late C16 and it
was probably Thomas Milward who remodelled and extended the house in circa 1595.
SOURCE: Price, S.J. and Molyneux, N., Seechem Manor, report; 1985.

------------------------------------

SP 07 SE ALVECHURCH CP -

7/4 Seechem

- II

House. Probably C15 with mid-C17 addition, partly clad in early C18, partly
remodelled early C19, with some late C20 alterations. Stuccoed timber-frame
and painted brick cladding timber-frame. T-plan, four framed bays aligned
north-west/south-east. C17, the stem extending to south-west of three bays
including two-bay former open hall. North-west front: gabled cross-wing to
left of two storeys with attic lit by gable-end window, one window: 4-light
casement with square label, ground floor: canted bay window with hipped
slate roof; lateral stack of brick with stone quoins has two diamond-plan
shafts; early C19 gabled two-storey porch on left-hand return front;
hall range: one storey with dentilled brick cornice, two windows: 3-light
casements with segmental heads; roughly central entrance has a C19 tiled
and gabled canopy, C17 boarded door; leads into baffle-entrance against stack
which has two diamond shafts. Interior: roof of hall is smoke-blackened with
steeply cambered tie-beams, arch braces and two raking struts. There is a
sandstone block (apparently re-set) bearing the date l688 in the present
kitchen (south-west room of hall range).

Listing NGR: SP0520172756

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Seechem Manor

A Grade II* Listed Building in Alvechurch, Worcestershire

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