Wolverton Manor

Wolverton Manor in Shorwell is a Jacobean country house in the south-west of the Isle of Wight, England, protected at Grade I, the top tier of Historic England's listing system. It is a private home, though its grounds open to visitors on selected event days.

What is Wolverton Manor?

The house stands in the village of Shorwell, inland from the island's Channel coast. It has been listed since 21 July 1951. The plan is E-shaped, the main front faces south-east, and the walls carry stone dressings under a tiled roof. Some of the fabric reflects eighteenth-century alterations.

Who built it, and when?

Records show the estate under the names Ulwartone in the eleventh century and Wolveton in the thirteenth. John Dingley, Deputy Governor of the Isle of Wight, who died in 1596, began the first house here. After his death Sir John Hammond built the present Jacobean house, which makes it the second on the site. Listing notes place completion in the reign of James I. The most distinctive feature is the two-storey porch, with a flat roof and hollow angle columns.

What else is on the property?

Several outbuildings and walls have their own protection:

• a seventeenth-century thatched barn of island stone rubble (Grade II*),
• a granary (Grade II),
• the forecourt walls in front of the house (Grade II),
• an early eighteenth-century red-brick wall laid in diaper pattern (Grade II).

Interior tours are not a regular offer, so this is a stop for architecture and history fans, best timed for an open event.

Can you visit?

Wolverton Manor remains a private residence. Visitors usually come for events held on the estate: the Garden Fair (adult tickets were listed at £8, with under-14s free), the Shorwell Midsummer Fair, a blues and jazz festival and classical concerts. Dates change each year, so check the Visit Isle of Wight events calendar before you set out. We found no official holiday-let or wedding offer, so enquire directly with the owners.

How do you get there?

Shorwell lies on the road between Newport and the south-west coast. A car or bicycle is the easiest way in, and the island's bus network serves the area. Ferries from Hampshire run from Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington. The house sits at roughly 50.640 N, 1.361 W.

What is nearby?

Shorwell itself is a quiet village with a parish church, set among rolling downland. Footpaths and cycle routes lead toward the Back of the Wight coast.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wolverton Manor open to the public? Not on a daily basis. It is a private home, and access is mainly through events such as the Garden Fair.

What listing grade does it have? Grade I, the highest in England. The barn is Grade II*, while the granary and walls are Grade II.

Who built the manor? John Dingley started the first house. Sir John Hammond built the present Jacobean house after Dingley's death.

Can you stay here or hold a wedding? We found no official offer. Contact the owners directly.