Plestor House
Encyclopedia
Plestor House is a house in the centre of Selborne
, Hampshire
, England
. The house is named for its location — adjacent to the village's plestor. Architecturally, the house has grown over the centuries. The oldest section, that facing the village green (known as The Plestor — from the Saxon
words pleg stow, meaning play space), dates from the third quarter of the 17th century. The roof incorporates fire-blackened timbers which have been dated by dendrochronology
to the early 14th century, and it is thought that they come from the house which previously stood on the site. A recent excavation of the cellar unearthed Tudor
bricks, which were also fire-damaged and may therefore point to the fate of the house's predecessor.
The second section of the house dates from 1783, according to a stone set into the upper storey. The mortar lines between the local malmstones of this section are studded with pieces of iron, a local characteristic known as galletting. The most recent addition came at the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. It effectively filled in the square formed by the L-shape of the two older wings.
Attached to the house is an ancient building which was the first site of the village school. The school was originally endowed in 1728, under the will of the grandfather of Gilbert White
, the early naturalist.
The north-east corner of the house appears in one of the plates in the first edition of Gilbert White's famous book, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789).
The house is now listed Grade II as being of architectural significance.
Selborne
Selborne is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is south of Alton. It will be just within the extreme northern boundary of the proposed South Downs National Park, which is due to take effect in mid-2010....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The house is named for its location — adjacent to the village's plestor. Architecturally, the house has grown over the centuries. The oldest section, that facing the village green (known as The Plestor — from the Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
words pleg stow, meaning play space), dates from the third quarter of the 17th century. The roof incorporates fire-blackened timbers which have been dated by dendrochronology
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
to the early 14th century, and it is thought that they come from the house which previously stood on the site. A recent excavation of the cellar unearthed Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
bricks, which were also fire-damaged and may therefore point to the fate of the house's predecessor.
The second section of the house dates from 1783, according to a stone set into the upper storey. The mortar lines between the local malmstones of this section are studded with pieces of iron, a local characteristic known as galletting. The most recent addition came at the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. It effectively filled in the square formed by the L-shape of the two older wings.
Attached to the house is an ancient building which was the first site of the village school. The school was originally endowed in 1728, under the will of the grandfather of Gilbert White
Gilbert White
Gilbert White FRS was a pioneering English naturalist and ornithologist.-Life:White was born in his grandfather's vicarage at Selborne in Hampshire. He was educated at the Holy Ghost School and by a private tutor in Basingstoke before going to Oriel College, Oxford...
, the early naturalist.
The north-east corner of the house appears in one of the plates in the first edition of Gilbert White's famous book, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789).
The house is now listed Grade II as being of architectural significance.