Hutton Court
Encyclopedia
Hutton Court is a country house
at Hutton
, Somerset
, England, built in the 15th century as a manor house
. It is a Grade II* listed building and stands immediately to the south of the parish church
.
An earlier wooden manor house may have been on the same site or nearby. The earliest parts of the present building are the tower with its battlement
s and the dining room with its oak ceiling. The hall
has a collar beam roof
. At the house's north-east corner is a polygonal stair turret, and the chimneys of the west wing rise higher than the battlements of the main tower.
The local landowner
John Payne acquired Hutton, amongst several other local manors, and by 1466 had established it as his primary residence. He died in 1496,
passing it on to his son Thomas Payne and his descendants. By 1604 Nicholas Payne was in financial difficulties, and John Still
, bishop of Bath and Wells
, purchased the manor of Hutton and the residence of Hutton Court. His son Nathaniel Still built the western part of the court. On his death in 1626 the estate included the Court, two gardens, 80 acres (32.4 ha) of meadow, 50 acres (20.2 ha) of pasture and 100 acres (40.5 ha) of other land. It passed via the marriage of Nathaniel's daughter Anne to the Codrington family. William Codrington (died 1728), a descendant of Nathaniel Still, lived at Hutton Court.
In 1730 the house was bought by Humphrey Brent, a Bristol
lawyer, and was passed on in the Brent family until 1837 when it was sold to Henry Adolphus Septimus Payne. By 1848 the house had been let to Edward Bowles Fripp, and in 1849 it was substantially altered by Samuel Charles Fripp, a Bristol architect.
The next owner was Edward Bisdee (1802–1870), a native of Oldmixon near Hutton who had made a fortune in Tasmania
. He held the house and manor from the 1850s until his death, when he left them to his brother Alfred Henry Bisdee (1819–1898). He in turn passed Hutton Court on to his son Thomas Gamaliel Bisdee (1852–1933). In 1935 the house and contents were sold by auction, when the house was bought by a Captain Stamp. In 1948 it was sold again to a Captain G. W. Gwynne, who owned it until the 1950s, when it was sold to the Palmer family who lived there until the late 1970s. Hutton Court then became a hotel, but in the 1990s a new owner returned it to use as a private residence.
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
at Hutton
Hutton, Somerset
Hutton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. The parish, which has a population of 2,627, is within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset and located on the western edge of the Mendip Hills, close to Weston-super-Mare....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, built in the 15th century as a manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
. It is a Grade II* listed building and stands immediately to the south of the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
.
An earlier wooden manor house may have been on the same site or nearby. The earliest parts of the present building are the tower with its battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
s and the dining room with its oak ceiling. The hall
Great hall
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or a large manor house in the Middle Ages, and in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries. At that time the word great simply meant big, and had not acquired its modern connotations of excellence...
has a collar beam roof
King post
A king post is a central vertical supporting post used in architectural, bridge, or aircraft design applications.-Architecture:...
. At the house's north-east corner is a polygonal stair turret, and the chimneys of the west wing rise higher than the battlements of the main tower.
The local landowner
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
John Payne acquired Hutton, amongst several other local manors, and by 1466 had established it as his primary residence. He died in 1496,
passing it on to his son Thomas Payne and his descendants. By 1604 Nicholas Payne was in financial difficulties, and John Still
John Still
John Still , bishop of Bath and Wells enjoyed considerable fame as a preacher and disputant. He was formerly reputed to be the author of the early English comedy drama Gammer Gurton's Needle .-Career:...
, bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
, purchased the manor of Hutton and the residence of Hutton Court. His son Nathaniel Still built the western part of the court. On his death in 1626 the estate included the Court, two gardens, 80 acres (32.4 ha) of meadow, 50 acres (20.2 ha) of pasture and 100 acres (40.5 ha) of other land. It passed via the marriage of Nathaniel's daughter Anne to the Codrington family. William Codrington (died 1728), a descendant of Nathaniel Still, lived at Hutton Court.
In 1730 the house was bought by Humphrey Brent, a Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
lawyer, and was passed on in the Brent family until 1837 when it was sold to Henry Adolphus Septimus Payne. By 1848 the house had been let to Edward Bowles Fripp, and in 1849 it was substantially altered by Samuel Charles Fripp, a Bristol architect.
The next owner was Edward Bisdee (1802–1870), a native of Oldmixon near Hutton who had made a fortune in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. He held the house and manor from the 1850s until his death, when he left them to his brother Alfred Henry Bisdee (1819–1898). He in turn passed Hutton Court on to his son Thomas Gamaliel Bisdee (1852–1933). In 1935 the house and contents were sold by auction, when the house was bought by a Captain Stamp. In 1948 it was sold again to a Captain G. W. Gwynne, who owned it until the 1950s, when it was sold to the Palmer family who lived there until the late 1970s. Hutton Court then became a hotel, but in the 1990s a new owner returned it to use as a private residence.
External links
- Hutton Court at britishlistedbuildings.co.uk
- Aerial view of Hutton Court at britishlistedbuildings.co.uk
- Hutton Court (photograph at webshots.com, viewed from churchyard)
- Hutton Court location map at streetmap.co.uk