The Old Manor House, also known as Nell Gywnne's House, is a historic building in the Clifton area of

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

in England. Two

timber-framed Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...

tenement buildings, each of two storeys, were built on the site at some point between the 14th and 16th centuries. In the late 17th century, it was largely rebuilt in brick, in the Artisan Mannerist style. The rebuilding may have been due to damage during the

Siege of York The siege of York in 1644 was a prolonged contest for York during the First English Civil War, between the Scottish Covenanter army and the Parliamentarian armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association, and the Royalist Ar ...

. A local legend claims that, when

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

visited York,

Nell Gwynne Eleanor Gwyn (also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne; 2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687) was an English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on t ...

stayed in the house. By the 19th century, the building housed working-class families in rooms which had been subdivided. At the start of the 20th century, the eastern part of the building was a tobacconist and barbers shop. In the 1930s, the building was converted into a single house, and the roof was entirely replaced. The house was

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

in 1954. In 1962, it was restored and partly rebuilt, the new work include the south-east wall and the window openings in the rear wall. The

York Civic Trust York Civic Trust is a membership organisation and a registered charity based in York, England. Its primary function is to "preserve, protect and advise on the historic fabric of York". It is based in Fairfax House. Foundation York Civic Trust ...

purchased the building in 1985, but sold it as a private house in the early 21st century. In 2020, the house was placed on the market for £1.29 million. The building is two storeys tall, with an attic above. There are two main

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

s on the front to the street named Clifton, and to their left, a smaller gable over the porch. Above ground floor level, the brickwork has been laid in an approximation of larger stone blocks. Inside the building, most of the ceiling beams and joists are 16th-century. The chimney is in the centre of the building, and it has 17th-century fireplaces. The entrance door is also 17th-century, but has been moved from its original doorway. One room has an 18th-century fitted cupboard. There is a cellar under part of the house, reached down a 17th-century flight of stairs.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Old Manor House, The, Clifton Grade II* listed buildings in York Houses in York

See also

References