More information : Torwood Grange, a mansion belonging to Torre Abbey (SX 96 SW 10) was granted in 1540 to John Ridgeway, and became the seat of the Earls of Londonderry. It was said to have been one of the most perfect examples of Tudor architecture in the neighbourhood, and in 1780 was described as being approached through an arched gateway leading into a spacious quadrangular court surrounded by high walls. In 1822 the house was in use as a farm-house. It was mostly demolished in 1843, but some of the walls were still standing in 1878, and a lead cistern seen there then bore the initials 'TR' and the date '1579'. (1-2)
An unsuccessful search for the foundations of Torwood Manor House was carried out in 1975 during preparations for the erection of three blocks of flats. The site had, from the late 14th century, been in the possession of the Premonstatension Canons of Torre Abbey, who established a grange there, of which a barn (SX 96 SW1 ) remains. The house was finally demolished in 1840 and replaced by four villas which were in turn destroyed in the 1950's. A sketch of the house published by Ellis and dated '1700' shows it attached or adjacent to a barn and extending south-west of it. It is thought that the barn shown on the sketch, the original of which in fact is dated 1838 and not 1700, is not the one which still survives. Blackmore's plan of 1769 (a) shows two barns, with the house to the south-west of the most easterly one. If the remaining barn is the more westerly one shown on the map, any remains of the manor house must lie to the south-east of this barn (at about SX 92566373). Extensive developments have so disturbed and changed this part of the hill that most or all traces of the house have completely disappeared. (3)
Customer comment recieved January 2017: The four Villas, were in fact not demolished until the early 1960s, as I actually lived in the most easterly one, Elmwood, until November 1960.(4) |