History of Blunham’s old manor house

Number 54 Park Lane in Blunham has been called the Manor House or Old Manor House for over a hundred years. It is not, however, a manor house: that lay behind the Old Salutation near the river. It derives its name from the fact that courts for the Manor of Blunham were held here in the 16th century.

Old Manor House, Bllunham PNL-141111-152018001

The house stands on the site of the Brotherhood House of the Fraternity of the Holy Trinity which was leased to it by the Lord of the Manor from 1468. It is believed that some of that house may be preserved in the current property. It is thought that the fraternity attended services in the church in what is now the Lady Chapel, separated from the chancel by a very fine screen. When not attending services the brotherhood would have met at the house for feasting and general fellowship. Documents record that the brotherhood also included women.

King Henry VIII (1509-1547) dissolved the monasteries and other religious institutions including the brotherhood and the Brotherhood House reverted to the Lords of the Manor. A ground floor room in the southern part of the house still contains part of a wall painting from about 1600 with geometric patterns and a fragment of inscription.

Thanks go to the Bedfordshire and Luton Archive Records Service for this article.