The current Manor House was built in 1777, by the Duke of Norfolk, close to the site of it’s predecessor. This ancient moated site has history dating back at least to the Norman period. The Manor House is considered by some to be the location of the Hayling’s lost priory, but is more likely to have been the site of the grange belonging to the priory.
Within the grounds of the Manor house are two structures worthy of particular note. The first is the old barn which contains a mixture of thin red roman tiles, large stone lumps, flint and brick in its walls and is support by massive timbers salvaged from an early German wreck. The second is a Norman Dovecote which could have accommodated a hundred or so doves or nesting pigeons. As keeping doves was a manorial privilege this gives added credence to the idea that the Priory farm was once located on this spot.
