On 23 October, Pat Clarke kindly shared her unparalleled knowledge of the history and evolution of Headstone Manor with a group of around 20 members.
The house still includes a significant part of the hall house built c1310 – including roof timbers blackened by the fire that would have burned at the centre of the open hall. One still enters by the doorway which would have led to service rooms beside the hall.
Shortly afterwards it became the Harrow residence of archbishops of Canterbury – until Cranmer was obliged to give it to Henry VIII. Later alterations include the panelling that made the hall a fitting entrance to a grand late 16th/early 17th-century building and the brick façade constructed c 1770, with some surviving bricks inscribed with the initials of those then living there. Some wall decorations, including a series of wallpapers were preserved during the recent restorations.
There are also many traces of its later existence as a farmhouse and even a fireplace inserted when it was home to the keeper of the recreation ground.
Highlights of Pat’s description included her evocation of the lost grand wing (now revealed only by paving which marks walls found during archaeological explorations), based on details in the inventory connected with a will, and the glimpse of lost Jacobean carvings on the back door, recorded in a doodle on a document in the archives. She came armed with diagrams and illustrations and was able to answer the many questions thrown at her. It is clear that those who attended benefited from her wealth of knowledge.
We hope to announce our next outing (in 2025) very shortly so watch this space!
