Barton Manor

Barton Manor (originally from the Old English, burc-tun; alternates: Burton, Burtone, Berton, Barton) is a Jacobean manor house in Whippingham, on the Isle of Wight. While it retains two 17th century elevations, other frontages were renovated, as was the interior in the 19th century.^[1] Two medieval lancet windows originated at a former Augustinian priory. Barton is the most northerly of all the Island manor houses.^[2]

Early history

The manor of Barton is mentioned in Domesday Book as having been held of King Edward by Bolla, and as having passed at the Conquest into the hands of the Norman, Fitz Stur, with whose family it remained till the reign of Henry III., when it passed by marriage to Walter de Insula. About 1282, John de Insula, rector of Shaltteet, and Peter de Winter, rector of Godshill, founded and endowed at Barton an oratory of Augustines for six priests and a clerk. It was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and placed under the patronage of the Bishop of Winchester; but about the middle of the 15th century it was suppressed, and its lands granted by Bishop Waynflete to Winchester College, with which they remained 'til purchased by Her Majesty, in 1846. The ancient Barton Manor House, which was erected shortly after the suppression of the religious foundation, has been considerably enlarged and renovated, so that it is now a large mansion of that style of domestic architecture which prevailed during the reign of the Tudors.

Grounds

Behind the manor house are the farm buildings, which are constructed on the most approved principle. The piggeries are arranged round a separate yard, with an incline from the sleeping compartments towards the yard, and food is passed into the troughs from a covered passage at the back of the styes. The sheds, dormitories, and fattening stalls of all the other animals are arranged on each side of a large substantial edifice, with a tramway passing down the centre of the building, by which food is easily conveyed to them. The stables for the cart-horses are ventilated by means of Venetian blinds at each end and openings beneath the eaves of the roof. The granary is a spacious fire and vermin proof building, erected on brick arches, with iron girders, and divided into compartments for every eort of grain. The wheelwright's shop is a large and well-lighted room, sixty feet long, with a sawmill on one side of it. Around it are arranged the fire hose, buckets, plugs, &c., which are kept in perfect order and ready at a moment's notice. A steam-engine of eight-horse power is employed in driving the machinery, which is adapted to a variety of purposes, such as elevating the sheaves, thrashing and cleaning corn, cutting chaff, straw, turnips, and mangold-wurtzel, crushing oil-cake, splitting beans and peas, bruising oats, grinding corn, grinding tools, working the sawmill, and pumping water for the fountains. The ricks are built upon cast-iron straddles, so as to resist the invasion of rats and mice. Nearly 100 men are constantly employed upon the estate.

References

• This article includes text incorporated from William White's History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Hampshire, Including the Isle of Wight: And Comprising a General Survey of the County and Separate Historical, Statistical and Topographical Descriptions of All the Hundreds, Parishes, Townships, Chapelries, Towns, Ports, Villages, Hamlets, and Unions; the Diocese of Winchester; the Seats of the Nobility and Gentry; Magistrates and Public Officers; and a Great Variety of Other Archæological, Architectural, Agricultural, Biographical, Botanical and Geological Information (1878), a publication now in the public domain.

Coordinates: 50°44′51″N 1°15′51″W / 50.7474°N 1.2643°W / 50.7474; -1.2643