Scolton Manor
Scolton Manor is a Victorian country house and country park located in Pembrokeshire, West Wales northeast of Haverfordwest and on the borders of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Built as a home, it is now a museum and is a Grade II* listed building. The stable court, some 120 m (130 yd) to the north, is also a Grade II listed building and both are owned by Pembrokeshire County Council.[1]
History
Designed by local architects William and James Owen, Scolton Manor was occupied from 1842 by the Higgon family. The house replaced a former building owned by the same family which had burned down in the mid-eighteenth century. Prominent amongst Pembrokeshire society, three Higgon family members held the position of High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire, including the last resident, Lt Col John Henry Victor Higgon (1902-1987).[2][3][4] It is a country house built in a neo-classical style, with unpainted stucco, with a slated, hipped roofs and flat overhanging eaves.[1]
Taken over by Pembrokeshire County Council, the grounds have become a country park and the house was lightly restored. The exhibition hall displays the broad-ranging history of Pembrokeshire including natural history, geology, employment and trade, life during World War II and the Gwalia stores. The out buildings display collections reflecting Pembrokeshire country life, including:[5][6]
- Stables and carriages
- Traditional skills of carpenter and blacksmith
- Relationship between the poacher and gamekeeper
- Gulbenkian-nominated VARDA gypsy caravan
- Fox Walker & Co.[7] locomotive "Margaret," used locally on the Maenclochog Railway
The David Burton-Richardson Collection and Archive of paintings, drawings and artefacts relating to the artists life is housed at Scolton Manor Museum. "From Now to Zero", a retrospective exhibition of David Burton-Richardson's works was held in 2005. Scolton is home to the Pembrokeshire Beekeeping Centre, opened in July 2014 at the same time as the inauguration of the Victorian walled garden.[8]
References
- ^ a b "Scolton Manor, Spittal Date Listed: 13 December 1951 Cadw Building ID: 11984". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ "No. 25922". The London Gazette. 9 March 1889.
- ^ "No. 39175". The London Gazette. 16 March 1951.
- ^ "No. 33700". The London Gazette. 20 March 1931.
- ^ David Kemp (1992). The Pleasures and Treasures of Britain: A Discerning Traveller's Companion. Dundurn. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-55488-347-9.
- ^ Catherine Le Nevez; Paul Whitfield (2012). The Rough Guide to Wales. Rough Guides Limited. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-4093-5902-9.
- ^ The Maenclochog railway by John Gale ISBN 0951944908
- ^ "County's beekeeping centre opens". Tivyside Advertiser. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.