Sydenham House, Devon

Sydenham House is a stone manor in Marystow with a distinctive E-shaped facade, four entrances, and rooms arranged symmetrically throughout. The building blends construction features from multiple periods, as older structural elements were incorporated into what stands today.

The manor was built between 1600 and 1612 under Sir Thomas Wise but stood on older structures already mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. This continuity shows how the estate maintained occupation and significance across centuries despite multiple rebuilding phases.

The rooms hold layers of craftsmanship from different eras, with original windows and wooden paneling that reflect how tastes and building techniques changed over centuries. Visitors can sense how past occupants adapted and improved the spaces they inherited.

The house underwent extensive restoration after a fire in 2012, with specialized work needed to recreate historic details like the staircase ceiling. Visitors should be aware that some areas may occasionally be off-limits due to ongoing conservation work.

During recent renovations, workers found Tudor roses and Elizabethan plasterwork hidden behind 17th-century paneling that had been unknown until then. These discoveries show the house conceals earlier, carefully executed decoration beneath its later layers.