Midway Manor, 18th century manor house in Wingfield, England
Midway Manor is a stone house that stands between Bradford on Avon and Wingfield, featuring stone barns and an ornate front facade decorated with mounted cannonballs. The structure underwent substantial reconstruction in 1892 using materials salvaged from demolished outbuildings, which shaped its current appearance.
The estate was originally home to cloth merchants and became known as the birthplace of Lieutenant-General Henry Shrapnel in 1761, inventor of the Shrapnel shell. The site's connection to 19th-century military history was shaped by this invention and its widespread use in major conflicts.
The gate piers feature engravings that recall battles where Shrapnel shells were used, including Waterloo and Talavera, with Latin text from French cannons. These markers connect the history of weapons technology to the place in a tangible and thought-provoking way.
The house is visible from the outside, with the gate piers deserving particular attention and easily explored through their inscriptions. Visitors should allow time to read the details on the stones and appreciate the composition of the facade in full.
The gate piers are Grade II listed and contain four original spherical projectiles, serving as a reminder of when this place embodied technical innovation and military power. These artifacts display physical traces of the wars that resulted from the invention born here.
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