Sheldon Manor - the 1st Hungerford House
Sheldon Manor is Wiltshire's oldest inhabited manor house, with a history going back to the Saxon period. The Grade I listed manor is primarily 17th century and is set in a mix of attractive formal and informal gardens. It is believed it stands today much it would have when last the Hungerford’s walked it’s halls.
Sheldon Manor carries the fingerprints of our ancestors, from Walter, first Lord Hungerford (1378-1449) who purchased it and The Hundred in 1424 for £1000, to Sir Edward (the Spendthrift) who sold it in 1684, along with another 40 properties, to cover his debts. It’s history demonstrates the rise and fall of the Hungerford fortunes in the English Royal Court.
The oldest feature is a 13th-century window and the porch, of similar date. Sir Walter rebuilt the house around 1430, in a manner suited to a High Treasurer of England. Most of the remainder of the house was built in 1659, with some 18th-century additions.
There is a rose garden, an arboretum, ancient yew trees, and plantings of mulberry bushes. The 15th-century chapel which stands in the grounds, was built by Robert, 2nd Lord Hungerford for family & staff use.
The house served as a setting for Uppercross in the 1995 BBC production of Jane Austen's 'Persuasion'.
The full manor is listed on Airbnb with 8 bedrooms, and space for 16 guests for £1,200 per night.
Submitted by Richard Hungerford at 9:08 PM on June 30, 2022.