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Although it probably stands on the site of the Burbage Stury manor, the current building is mainly 19th century. More about this important farm will appear in due course - especially as today the building is rented out while property developers try to get permission to erect several houses in the farmyard - but in the meantime I will include, by request, some details on its yew arbour
The Manor Farm Yew Arbour
This photo was taken in 1956 when the requestors grandparents, Donald and Betty Blanchard, ran the farm. In 1999 Manor Farm and Wolfhall Farm were combined and their son Peter gave up their home and moved to the Elizabethan Laundry at Wolfhall. The following is from the Burbage W.I. records:-
"In the Manor Farm garden is a yew arbour said by experts to be quite 400 years old, and here, according to local legend, Nenry VII and Jane Seymore enjoyed the moonlight nights. The arbour consists of four yew trees planted in a rough square and cut so that they join each other and form what looks like a giant plum pudding. Another yew tree was planted in the middle and this has grown up higher than the other trees and sticks out the top like the holly on the top of a Chrismas pudding. The area inside the trees is about 15 feet across and about 20 feet high - room enough for Henry VIII!. It is possible that the arbour was planted to celebrate the wedding, but Burbage people are convinced that it has some connection with Henry VIII."