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The house today:
Standen Manor (in earlier days also known as South Standen or Standen Hussey) is an extremely attractive, Grade II Listed country mansion. The property is constructed of red brick and some flint under a tile hung hipped slate roof with attractive sash windows. There is a balcony with a 19th century decorative iron ballustrade on two Tuscan columns and pillasters over the flagstone porch. There are a myriad of period features throughout the property including attractive cornicing, picture rails, exposed polished oak stripped floors and a variety of decorative fireplaces. The drawing room, with its two Corinthian pillars, was the ballroom and has an unusual oak sprung dance floor.
Pevsner describes it as early 18th century, with blue headers and red dressings. Six bay front, with parapet, hipped roof, segment headed windows, widely spread.
The Listed Buildings entry:
The Listing Text from 10th September 1951 states: "Mansion. Early C18 with late C18 extensions and C20 remodelling. Hipped slate roofs. Some flint with red brick dressings and some brick with grey headers and red stretchers and dressings. 2 storeys and parapet with moulded brick cornice string. Band at first floor. East Elevation: Centre recessed between square pavilions. 2 vertical sliding sashes with glazing bars in reveals with cambered heads to each pavilion. Jalousies to first floor windows. 2 similar windows and 2 hipped dormers to central portion, across which is balcony with late C19 iron decorative balustrade, on 2 Tuscan columns and 2 pilasters. The North Pavilion has date 1732. North Elevation: Returns in similar style to East elevation, but has central 3 storey bowed projection between high chimneys. Band at 2nd floor level and 3 sash windows to ground and first floors of bow."
The early history:
The first noted owners of Standen Manor were a family called Hussey (or de la Huse) who held the manor from the 12th to the 15th Century. After this, the manor was often known as Standen Hussey, presumably to help distinguish it from North Standen.
By 1486, the manor belonged to Sir Reginald Braye, the chief minister of King Henry VII. Braye died childless in 1503 and divided the interest between his brother John's three sons.
Around the 1550s, the estate was purchased by John Goddard, a man from an ancient Wiltshire family seated at Upper Upham House in Aldbourne. Thus began an 150 year association with that family. They also owned Clyffe Pypard Manor in Wiltshire and divided their time between the two. John's great great grandson, Francis Goddard, had been the owner of Standen for 15 years when he gained a new neighbour in Jethro Tull, the inventor of the seed drill, the main cause for the revolution in agriculture.
A memorial in St. Lawrence's Church (the oldest apart from the 14th century effigy of Sir Robert Hungerford) is to Henry Hungerford, "late of Standen", third son of Sir Anthony Hungerford of Blackborton in Oxfordshire. See Church Monuments. He died 23rd May 1673.
The 19th and 20th century owners:
In the 19th century the manor was owned by the Mitchell and Dunn families. There are memorial tablets in St Lawrence Church.
William H Dunn (great uncle to Piers Dunn of Ham) exhibited livestock at the Smithfield Cattle show in 1873, as recorded in the Hungerford Parish Magazine of January 1873: "At the Smithfield Cattle Show, on December 11, there was a finer display of pigs than usual. For white pigs not exceeding nine months old, Her Majesty the Queen was first with a pen of very great merit, and the Rev. J. O. Stephens, of Savemake was second. For pigs of a white breed not exceeding twelve months, Her Majesty was again first, and W.H. Dunn Esq., of Standen Manor, was second. In the next class, white pigs not exceeding eighteen months old, Mr Dunn was first with animals of extraordinary fineness of offal, grand neck chines, rare backs and loins, and fine hair, while Her Majesty won the second prize."
Next was the Pearce family were occupants in the 19th century. A report in the Hereford Journal of 8th January 1806 records: "Died - Suddenly, aged 55. John Pearce esq of Standen Hussey, near Hungerford, Captain Commandant of the Hungerford Volunteer Cavalry: a gentleman universally esteemed but a nervous affection had brought on a despondency, and though he was possessed of £40,0000, he thought that he should become a parish pauper." [Kindly sent by Jerry Green, February 2012].
The 1819 Enclosure Award map shows "Standen Hussey Farm" to be owned by "The heirs of Mrs Ca. Pearse" (sic!). Many of the adjacent fields were in similar ownership.
The house passed through various families until, in 1922, Standen was advertised "to be sold privately or by auction later on" and was bought by the Anderson family, who owned it, until they sold up in 1981.
During the Second World War, the house was requisitioned and occupied by troops of the 101st US Airbourne division during the 10-11 months prior to D-Day. David Nash Ford states that the men were visited by the supreme commander, General Eisenhower, on the evening of the 5th June 1944 prior to their departure to France. General Eisenhower inspected the troops on Hungerford Common on 10 Aug 1944.
Photo Gallery:
- Standen Manor c.2006.
- Report of the death of John Pearce, January 1806, in Hereford Journal (kindly sent by Jerry Green, February 2012).
- Standen Manor 1908.
- Standen Manor c.1912 [Barnard, Hungerford].
- Standen Manor c.1935.
- Standen Manor, May 2020.
Standen Manor now:
Standen Manor is a private residence. The NWN mentioned its impending sale in May 1980 "Georgian mansions to sell for £½m". It is described as having "seven bedrooms, extensive outbuildings, a tennis court and 23 acres of land. The property also has a stable block with additional land. The guide price is around £200,000."
It was last offered for sale by Knight Frank in April 2002, when it was bought by Guy and Fiona Sangster.
The historic name Standen Hussey is now perpetuated by being the name of another property on the estate, a historic property redeveloped in 2012 by Adam and Carola Lee.
See also:
- Standen, North and South: HHA Archives A07