Bradley (house) facts for kids
Bradley Manor is a very old and special house in Newton Abbot, Devon, England. It's a type of large, fancy house called a manor house that was built a long, long time ago, in the Middle Ages. You'll find it tucked away among trees and fields in the valley of the River Lemon, just a short walk west of the main town. Today, this amazing house is looked after by the National Trust, a charity that protects important places.
Contents
Exploring Bradley Manor
A Glimpse into History
Bradley Manor is one of the most complete medieval manor houses in Devon. It was mostly built in the early 1400s. Imagine living in a house that's over 600 years old!
A big part of the house we see today was created by Richard and Joan Yarde. They owned Bradley Manor starting in 1402. Richard Yarde was a very important person; he was the Sheriff of Devon in 1442.
Special Features of the House
Inside the house, you can find many cool things. In an upstairs room, there are old patterns of black fleur-de-lys stencilled on the walls. A fleur-de-lys is a symbol that looks like a lily flower.
The main hall, called the Great Hall, has the royal arms of Elizabeth I displayed. These are like a special coat of arms for the queen. There used to be a gatehouse at Bradley Manor, but it was taken down in the mid-1800s.
The woods around the house are also very special. They are a SSSI, which means they are protected because they are a great example of natural woodland growing on limestone.
The Chapel at Bradley Manor
A unique part of Bradley Manor is its chapel. It's a small church building that stands separate from the main house. The chapel was officially made sacred in 1428.
It's a simple building with a stone altar and a beautiful window on the east side. It also has a tiny gallery and its original wagon-shaped roof. For a while, during the Protestant Reformation, it was not used as a church. Over time, it was used for many different things, like a place for chickens, a billiard room, a dining room, and even a barn! The roof was fixed up in 1993.
Inside the house, you can also see a collection of art from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. This was a group of artists who wanted to paint in a style like artists before the famous Raphael. There's also furniture from the Arts and Crafts movement, which focused on handmade items.
Water and Ownership
A small stream called the Bradley Leat flows right past the house. This stream used to bring water to the mills that belonged to the manor. These mills were where the cattle market in Newton Abbot is now.
Bradley Manor was given to the National Trust in 1938 by Diana Woolner. Her family still lives in the house today and helps the National Trust manage it.
More to Explore
- Puritan's Pit: This is a nearby spot on the other side of the River Lemon. In the 1600s, it was used for religious services by groups who didn't follow the main church.
- Manor Class Locomotives: The Great Western Railway built a series of steam trains called the "Manor class." These trains were named after different manor houses. One of them, Locomotive 7802, was named after Bradley Manor! You can still see it today on the Severn Valley Railway.
