Ovingdean Grange
Encyclopedia
Ovingdean Grange is a grade II listed manor house
situated on the south coast of England in the village
of Ovingdean
, east of Brighton
. One of the oldest and most historical residences in Brighton, it gave its name to the novel Ovingdean Grange by the popular 19th-century writer William Harrison Ainsworth
.
is a small village just outside of Brighton, where Ovingdean Grange is the oldest residence. The oldest building is the 11th-century parish church of St. Wulfran's
opposite Ovingdean Grange.
from Wivelsfield
who settled in Ovingdean.
Over much of its history, it has been the Grange’s occupant who acted as churchwarden
for St. Wulfran's
opposite. The north side, which was the original entrance, is the oldest part of the house, with flint walls and stone quoins, just like those of the church.
Over the years the house has seen many changes architecturally. As a Tudor
manor house
, the Grange had servants’ quarters and a cellar below ground. Since then it has been altered, the most noticeable addition being the false Georgian
facade in 1824.
The house was used as a family home in the 1900s. From 1945 the Grange was occupied by former Mayor
of Brighton and local farmer Frank Maesfield Bekerin, although, owing to the ill health of one of its inhabitants, it eventually fell into disrepair. Brighton council eventually auctioned it off in 1987. After it had remained empty for eight years, the new owners, Dr. Harry Brunjes and wife Jacquie, undertook extensive renovations in 1993 to restore it to its former state.
who owned the Grange and its farmlands did not live in the village. Instead, the farm and the Grange were leased to tenants, who then farmed the land. The ownership of the manor estate from 1066 until today is known from legal conveyances and church documents, but knowledge of the identities of the tenant farmers is patchy.
Ovingdean Manor is currently the home of actor and comedian Steve Coogan
.
stayed there for less than 24 hours before escaping to France in 1651, fathering a child in the process. King Charles is reported to have sheltered in the chimney breast of the master bedroom.
steamship in service under that name between 1946 and 1959.
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...
situated on the south coast of England in the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Ovingdean
Ovingdean
Ovingdean is a small formerly agricultural village which was absorbed into the borough of Brighton, East Sussex, UK, in 1928, and now forms part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It has expanded through the growth of residential streets on its eastern and southern sides, and now has a population of...
, east of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. One of the oldest and most historical residences in Brighton, it gave its name to the novel Ovingdean Grange by the popular 19th-century writer William Harrison Ainsworth
William Harrison Ainsworth
William Harrison Ainsworth was an English historical novelist born in Manchester. He trained as a lawyer, but the legal profession held no attraction for him. While completing his legal studies in London he met the publisher John Ebers, at that time manager of the King's Theatre, Haymarket...
.
Ovingdean
OvingdeanOvingdean
Ovingdean is a small formerly agricultural village which was absorbed into the borough of Brighton, East Sussex, UK, in 1928, and now forms part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It has expanded through the growth of residential streets on its eastern and southern sides, and now has a population of...
is a small village just outside of Brighton, where Ovingdean Grange is the oldest residence. The oldest building is the 11th-century parish church of St. Wulfran's
St Wulfran's Church, Ovingdean
St Wulfran's Church, dedicated to Wulfram of Sens, a 7th-century French archbishop, is an Anglican church in Ovingdean, a rural village now within the English city of Brighton and Hove...
opposite Ovingdean Grange.
History
Saxon farmhouses were first built in Ovingdean in the 11th century, and no firm evidence exists of when the Grange was first built. It is most likely to have been built circa 1540, by Thomas Geere, a yeomanYeoman
Yeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...
from Wivelsfield
Wivelsfield
Wivelsfield village, and larger adjacent village of Wivelsfield Green, are part of the civil parish of Wivelsfield in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The villages are located three miles south east of Haywards Heath...
who settled in Ovingdean.
Over much of its history, it has been the Grange’s occupant who acted as churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
for St. Wulfran's
St Wulfran's Church, Ovingdean
St Wulfran's Church, dedicated to Wulfram of Sens, a 7th-century French archbishop, is an Anglican church in Ovingdean, a rural village now within the English city of Brighton and Hove...
opposite. The north side, which was the original entrance, is the oldest part of the house, with flint walls and stone quoins, just like those of the church.
Over the years the house has seen many changes architecturally. As a Tudor
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
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...
, the Grange had servants’ quarters and a cellar below ground. Since then it has been altered, the most noticeable addition being the false Georgian
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
facade in 1824.
The house was used as a family home in the 1900s. From 1945 the Grange was occupied by former Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Brighton and local farmer Frank Maesfield Bekerin, although, owing to the ill health of one of its inhabitants, it eventually fell into disrepair. Brighton council eventually auctioned it off in 1987. After it had remained empty for eight years, the new owners, Dr. Harry Brunjes and wife Jacquie, undertook extensive renovations in 1993 to restore it to its former state.
Lords of the Manor
It is unusual in that from approximately 1170 until 1987 the Lord of the ManorLord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
who owned the Grange and its farmlands did not live in the village. Instead, the farm and the Grange were leased to tenants, who then farmed the land. The ownership of the manor estate from 1066 until today is known from legal conveyances and church documents, but knowledge of the identities of the tenant farmers is patchy.
Ovingdean Manor is currently the home of actor and comedian Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
.
The novel Ovingdean Grange
The Grange is the subject of legend. In 1857, the popular novelist W. Harrison Ainsworth wrote Ovingdean Grange: A Tale of the South Downs, in which he described how the future King Charles IICharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
stayed there for less than 24 hours before escaping to France in 1651, fathering a child in the process. King Charles is reported to have sheltered in the chimney breast of the master bedroom.
SS Ovingdean Grange
The was a Houlder BrosHoulder Line
The Houlder Line were a number of related British Shipping companies originally established by the Houlder brothers. was operated by the Houlder Line and was torpedoed in the North Atlantic in 1940. was operated by the Houlder Line...
steamship in service under that name between 1946 and 1959.