Moated English Manor Is the UK’s Oldest Continually Inhabited House

Thought to be the oldest continually inhabited house in Great Britain, history leaps out everywhere at Great Tangley Manor, in rural Surrey. The Manor was reputedly used as a hunting lodge in the twelfth century by Prince John, who later, as king, signed the Magna Carta, but part of it was lost in a fire.

It was partially rebuilt in the 1400s as a medieval hall house, with the Tudor half-timbered frontage, the upper floor and some of the paneling added in 1582. The then owner contributed to the Crown during the war against the Spanish, and in return, was given some timbers from Spanish Armada ships, which are now beams in the dining room. Other impressive features include an ancient moat that nowadays is unlikely to keep any invaders out who are over age two, a window that George V and Queen Mary signed with a diamond ring in 1913 (“George RI” meaning “George Rex [King] Imperator [Emperor]), and a stunning Arts and Crafts extension decorated by William Morris.

In addition to George V, visitors to the house over the years include horticulturalist Gertrude Jekyll, who photographed the manor and occasionally brought her architect friend Edwin Lutyens with her. Alice Keppel, the long-time mistress of King Edward VII and great-grandmother of Queen Consort Camilla, also visited the property. Sir Leslie Stephen visited with his two daughters, Virginia and Vanessa, later to become author Virginia Woolf and artist Vanessa Bell. Yet another famous name to spend time at the Manor was Countess Széchenyi (a.k.a. Miss Gladys Vanderbilt of New York, cousin to Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough), who spent the summer of 1913 here. Told you, history oozes out of its ancient walls.

Commented on by architectural historian Nicholas Pevsner as “the most impressive of Surrey’s moderate collection of half-timbered houses,” the Grade I listed manor is now for sale. The current owners have done a careful restoration of both the house and the gardens. The massive ten-bedroom, six-plus-bathroom residence, along with nearly 10 acres of land, is available for $13.4 million via Oliver Custance Baker and Thomas Shuttleworth at Strutt & Parker and Phillippa Darby-Welsh and Alastair Mercer at Savills.

The house was divided in to two residences in the 20th century, with one wing being known as Great Tangley Manor and the other (less than imaginatively) as Great Tangley Manor West. The current owners reunited the house, sort of, with the west wing used as a holiday rental. The older wing has been used as a family home by the current owners. This wing has access to the 40-foot indoor heated pool, sauna and office. On the second floor, there are five bedrooms, two dressing rooms and three bath/shower rooms.

Measuring a commodious 11,255 square feet, the west wing makes for an excellent rental/Airbnb as it has an independent entrance, three living rooms plus a study, a complete kitchen, five bedrooms (one of them en suite) and three and a half bathrooms. One of the bedroom suites also benefits from a dressing room and one of the shared bathrooms is an original Art Deco design.

Over the centuries, different architectural and interior styles have been successfully married to create a very interesting home—a kind of medieval meets Arts and Crafts meets modern mashup. In 2006, the owners added a glass box extension, which won several building awards.

So, where does the Arts and Crafts part come from? In 1885, the house was bought by Wickham Flower, who commissioned Philip Webb, the famous architect, to design various extensions, with furnishings by his good friend, William Morris. Period interior photos show William Morris carpets in place, along with chairs upholstered in Morris fabrics, and a round central table designed by Philip Webb.

As for the gardens, they were designed for Flower in the 1880s and carefully restored by the present owners. The manor was considered to have one of the most modern, progressive gardens of the 1880s. The walled garden and formal lawn epitomize the romantic English country garden with glorious flowerbeds, while the charming but hardly effective moat that encircles the property is one of its most notable features.

Beyond the formal gardens, the grounds extend into a natural wooded setting with an array of specimen trees, including the King John Oak and a magnificent tulip tree. The lake hosts an abundance of wildlife and is surrounded by beautiful trees and planted with irises and bullrushes. The bog garden, which has been described as one of the best of its kind in the country, is planted with spring bulbs, azaleas and bamboo and enclosed with stunning rhododendrons. Adjacent is the wisteria walk, which runs almost the entire length of the lake.

Also on the grounds is a hard tennis court and a WWII air raid shelter, which could be used as additional storage space. The land boasts a substantial meadow, which is currently used as grazing for horses. The stable yard, which was originally built as a helicopter hangar and landing space, is in need of restoration but could be developed or even restored to use as a helicopter hangar.

Oliver Custance Baker, head of Strutt & Parker’s Country Department,  says, “The current owners have carefully pieced the house back together with great consideration and awareness. The house is a brilliant example of building upon an existing structure in a sympathetic way, both during the Arts and Crafts movements and in the decades since. As such, Great Tangley Manor today offers flexibility: whether that’s in full for a family or portioned to generate additional income streams as the current owners have done.”