Northfield Manor House
| Northfield Manor House | |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Birmingham |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 52°25′42″N 1°57′34″W / 52.42827°N 1.959311°WCoordinates: 52°25′42″N 1°57′34″W / 52.42827°N 1.959311°W |
| Owner | University of Birmingham |
Northfield Manor House is a Manor House, on Bristol Road South, Northfield, Birmingham, England. It was formerly known as Manor Farm, and under that name was home to George and Elizabeth Cadbury.
On 30 July 2014, the building suffered extensive damage caused by a severe fire, confirmed as arson.
The property had belonged to the University of Birmingham since 1953, when it was bought from the Cadbury family. A farm house, part of the Manor of Northfield, belonging to the Jervoise family, was recorded as being on the site circa 1750. In 1809 the estate was purchased by Daniel Ledsam, a London merchant. It is believed that he made alterations to the house and was responsible for the current main building.
George Cadbury bought the house in 1890 and the Cadburys moved there from Woodbrooke, in Selly Oak, Birmingham, in 1894. They lived there together until George's death at the house in 1922. Elizabeth continued to reside there until her own death in 1951, aged 93. During the Second World War she invited the Friends' Ambulance Unit to use the grounds as a training centre.
On acquisition by the University, the property was renamed The Manor House and converted for use from 1958 as a hall of residence by H W Hobbiss. Additional wings have since been added. Its use as a hall of residence ceased in 2007, apparently because of prohibitive costs of bringing the property up to current health and safety standards.
Architecturally, it is in mock Tudor-style stone and brick, with timber-framing, projecting porch and carved bay windows probably by George Gadd who also designed some of the early Cadbury's factory buildings at Bournville. Internally the style is Jacobean with wood panelling, carving and inscriptions.
It is a grade A locally listed building and has been considered for national listing; however English Heritage declined to list it.
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