Waterston Manor,
Puddletown
Puddletown is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is situated by the River Piddle, from which it derives its name, about northeast of the county town Dorchester. Its earlier name Piddletown fell out of favour, probably because ...
, Dorset is a manor house with 17th century origins, that was extensively rebuilt after a fire in 1863 and remodelled in 1911. The manor was the inspiration for Weatherbury Farm in
Thomas Hardy's novel, ''
Far from the Madding Crowd''. It is a
Grade I listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
History
The house was built in the early 17th century, when the manor was owned by the
Earls of Suffolk. In 1641, it was sold to
Sir John Strangways. It remained in the possession of the Strangways, who in 1756 became
Earls of Ilchester
Earl of Ilchester is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1756 for Stephen Fox, 1st Baron Ilchester, who had previously represented Shaftesbury in Parliament. He had already been created Baron Ilchester, of Ilchester in ...
, until 1911 when it was sold to Captain Gerald Carter.
The gardens were laid out by
Percy Richard Morley Horder
Percy Richard Morley Horder (18 November 1870 – 7 October 1944) was an English architect who early in his career worked from offices in Stroud and later in London. His early work included public houses for the Godsell Brewery work included the ...
when he undertook remodelling of the house in 1911.
The house was
Hardy's inspiration for Weatherbury Farm in his novel ''
Far From the Madding Crowd''.
It is now owned by
Katharine Butler, who, along with her siblings, was involved in a lengthy court case regarding the
Chinese porcelain
Chinese ceramics show a continuous development since pre-dynastic times and are one of the most significant forms of Chinese art and ceramics globally. The first pottery was made during the Palaeolithic era. Chinese ceramics range from constru ...
collection assembled by their father, diplomat
Sir Michael Butler.
Description
The house is of two storeys, with an attic, and is constructed of
ashlar and brick. The south front remains predominantly of 17th century construction, while the east front dates from the 19th century rebuilding following the fire. The interiors are almost entirely of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The gate piers, the stables, and some of the garden walls have their own
Grade II listings.
Notes
Sources
*
* {{cite book
, last1 = Bullen , first1 = J.B.
, title = Thomas Hardy: The World of His Novels
, url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8aX0AgAAQBAJ&q=Thomas+Hardy+The+world+of+his+novels
, year = 2013
, publisher = Frances Lincoln
, isbn = 978-0-7112-3275-4
Manor houses in England
Country houses in Dorset
Gardens in Dorset
Grade I listed buildings in Dorset
Grade I listed houses
Puddletown