Swainston Manor
Encyclopedia
Swainston Manor lies 1 miles (1.6 km) to the east of Calbourne
, Isle of Wight
, England
. Now a hotel, Swainston Manor was originally a manor house
on a site dating back to 735 CE. Eight hundred years ago it became the location of a palace built by the Bishops of Winchester. It has a 12th century chapel on its 32 acres (12.9 ha). Most of the present building was constructed in the 18th century, but an attached hall dates from the 13th century. Warwick the Kingmaker reportedly dined at Swainston Manor.
Swainston is derived from its original name, "Sweyn's Town". It was founded by king Sweyn Forkbeard
of Denmark
, whose son was King Canute.
The parish of Calbourne was at one time dependent on Swainston Manor.
The house was severely damaged by incendiary bombs during World War II. The church on the site however was untouched.
The poet Alfred Lord Tennyson also visited Swainston a few times. It is claimed that he wrote "Maud" on its grounds. He also wrote "In the Garden at Swainston" after the death of his friend and Swainston's owner, Sir John Simeon.
Swainston also features, as "Swaynestone", in Maxwell Gray
's 1886 novel The Silence of Dean Maitland.
Swainstone was one of the locations for King James 1st public school during the 1960s. Other locations for the school included Newport and Cowes.
Calbourne
Calbourne is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. It is located eight kilometres from Newport in the west of the island.The village takes its name from the stream that passes through town, the Caul Bourne...
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Now a hotel, Swainston Manor was originally 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...
on a site dating back to 735 CE. Eight hundred years ago it became the location of a palace built by the Bishops of Winchester. It has a 12th century chapel on its 32 acres (12.9 ha). Most of the present building was constructed in the 18th century, but an attached hall dates from the 13th century. Warwick the Kingmaker reportedly dined at Swainston Manor.
Swainston is derived from its original name, "Sweyn's Town". It was founded by king Sweyn Forkbeard
Sweyn I of Denmark
Sweyn I Forkbeard was king of Denmark and England, as well as parts of Norway. His name appears as Swegen in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and he is also known in English as Svein, Swein, Sven the Dane, and Tuck.He was a Viking leader and the father of Cnut the Great...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, whose son was King Canute.
The parish of Calbourne was at one time dependent on Swainston Manor.
The house was severely damaged by incendiary bombs during World War II. The church on the site however was untouched.
The poet Alfred Lord Tennyson also visited Swainston a few times. It is claimed that he wrote "Maud" on its grounds. He also wrote "In the Garden at Swainston" after the death of his friend and Swainston's owner, Sir John Simeon.
Swainston also features, as "Swaynestone", in Maxwell Gray
Maxwell Gray
Mary Gleed Tuttiett , better known by the pen name Maxwell Gray, was an English novelist and poet best known for her 1886 novel The Silence of Dean Maitland.-Life:...
's 1886 novel The Silence of Dean Maitland.
Swainstone was one of the locations for King James 1st public school during the 1960s. Other locations for the school included Newport and Cowes.