The New Murrey and Blue blog

While pursuing information about the medieval royal residence known as Henley-on-the-Heath in Surrey, I’ve found yet another example of our disappearing past. This one hasn’t quite gone, but it’s certainly being encroached upon.

Now known as Ash Manor, this royal residence was purchased in 1324 by Edward II, and remained a royal property until Henry VI, by which time it was rather ruinous. Edward II built “new timber framed buildings on stone foundations and had a ditch dug around the manor and park. Repurchased by Edward III in 1351 and maintained as a royal residence during C14.” The present house is 16^th century. The original property was host to Edward II, Edward III and Richard II, who went there four times in 1386 alone!

The present owner lives in half of the original 13th-century manor house, known as Old Manor Cottage. The moated manor house on the site now is 16^th century.

Well, I delved around the internet, as one does, seeking all I could, and I came upon this article from 2017.  Argh! Surrounding it with new-builds will surely destroy its integrity forever! I know that all too often those that have want to keep well away from lesser beings—nimby!—but sometimes they’re right. As with battlefields, so with royal residences from the past. How difficult will it be to picture those far-off times when the 21st century is humming and pressuring all around?

OK, I concede that it could be a lot worse, but that doesn’t make it right. On the black side, they could have found some way of flattening Ash Manor House to squeeze in even more houses. I know it’s Grade II* listed, but “mistakes” have been made from time to time.

There don’t seem to be any surviving illustrations of what was there in the 14^th century, so imagination has to be called upon. Even more so since it seems permission was granted for the new houses to go ahead. See here.

I know I’m possibly over-reacting to this development, but to me it’s yet another example of wedges with thin ends. People have to live somewhere, and new houses are always needed…but is it really necessary to choose historic sites?