A piece of history that was lost to housing

Fire damages manor

Manor divided up as home for three families

HERE'S a little piece of Nantwich history that was soon to disappear from the local scene when I wrote this in 2007.

  This is 74-76 London Road, Stapeley, Nantwich - otherwise known as Stapeley Manor. It is seen from a staff car park at the former Stapeley Water Gardens.

   The picture is a side/front corner view of the Manor - the front faces the right of the picture. The smaller picture, below right, is seen from the drive to the water gardens and features one of the gables at the front of the building.

   The Manor, which is not a listed building, was to be demolished when the Stapeley Water Gardens houses plan went ahead - as it was doing in 2014.

   At the time of this article, however, it was standing empty, and had caused Nantwich Civic Society some concern.

  In a report presented to Nantwich Town Council in the February - by the Town Councillor who is a delegate to the society - it was stated: "Stapeley Manor is a cause for concern. It is now a shell . . . stripped of any value. It will probably be demolished, but could have had hotel potential."

     The Council Minutes added that it was "known as Khaki Manor – built in 1916 on proceeds of WW1 (the First World War)."

lThat last phrase was a little puzzling, but I am pleased to say that after local historian Andrew Lamberton read the Letter from Nantwich on this website about the water gardens site, he sent me the information here and pictures to enlighten me. Thanks, Andrew.

Manor has gone

UPDATE (July 2014)

The piece of history that was Stapeley Manor is well and truly lost as houses are being built on the Stapeley Gardens development - land that was the sites of both Stapeley Water Gardens and Stapeley Manor.

Ben Baxter- who built "Khaki Manor" - pictured in his office.

 A photograph of the front of Stapeley Manor.  Picture: Andrew Lamberton

Andrew Lamberton writes: The house was built in 1916 from the proceeds of the manufacture of army uniforms by Mr Ben Baxter, the Managing Director at the time of Harding's Clothing Factory (later known as the Baronia factory) It was therefore nicknamed Khaki Manor.

   Ben Baxter (left) died in 1937 and was succeeded by his son, Jim. The house was later sold to Norman Afford and a Mr Birchall and divided into two halves. It was afterwards subdivided into three parts and the White family lived in one of these.

   Later on they were able to reunite the parts and sold it to the Davies brothers (of Stapeley Water Gardens) in the 1970s. Both Nigel and Ray lived there, but it had stood empty for a number of years and became subject to vandalism.

A drawing by Chris Dykins of

the side of Stapeley Manor (the side facing London Road)

See also this follow-up article