Billingham Manor (or Billingham House) is a

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

lying about a mile south of the village of

Chillerton Chillerton is a village between Newport and Chale in the Isle of Wight in southern England. Chillerton is in the middle of a farming community. It is in the civil parish of Chillerton and Gatcombe, along with nearby Gatcombe; the parish had a tot ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

. The oldest part of the house dates from 1631. The house was largely remodelled a hundred years later by Edward Worsley, son of Sir Edward Worsley of

Gatcombe House Gatcombe House is a manor house in Gatcombe on the Isle of Wight, England. The original building was constructed by the Stur (Estur) family as noted in the Domesday Book. St. Olave's Church, built next to the manor to serve as its chapel, was d ...

. The house was owned at one time by

J.B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...

. Considered to be one of the island's antiquities, it is a Grade II* listed building since 1951. It was the seat of the Worsley family, and owned at one time by a Mrs. Lawrence. British novelist, poet, writer and reviewer

Olivia Manning Olivia Mary Manning (2 March 1908 – 23 July 1980) was a British novelist, poet, writer, and reviewer. Her fiction and non-fiction, frequently detailing journeys and personal odysseys, were principally set in the United Kingdom, Euro ...

was cremated and her ashes buried at the manor. At the time it was rented by Sir Shane Leslie, Billingham was regarded as the most haunted house on the Island.

Architecture and fittings

There is a fine oak staircase dating to the Queen Anne period. Panelled oak room with secret recess. Subterranean passage leading from North to South end of house.

References

''This article includes text incorporated from Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society's "Proceedings, Volume 2 (1894)", a publication now in the public domain.'' Latitude/Longitude: 50.6348, -1.3141 {{coord, 50.6348, N, 1.3141, W, source:wikidata, display=title Manor houses in England Country houses on the Isle of Wight Grade II listed buildings on the Isle of Wight