Puncknowle - with manor house among 'daintiest in Dorset'

Puncknowle village has a Jacobean manor house, which in 1906 Sir Frederick Treves described as 'one of the daintiest and most beautiful manor houses in the county'.

The Napier family, who came to Puncknowle from Merchiston in Scotland, were lords of the manor for three centuries, until the early 18th century. In the early 19th century the manor was occupied by Colonel Shrapnel, inventor of the shrapnel shell.

You can see the beauty of the manor house building in the above image taken by Bridport photographer Claud Hider. 

These photographs, which were taken from 1922 onwards, have been digitally archived by Neil Mattingly.

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The village of Puncknowle, a coastal parish about six miles south east of Bridport, has a steep rocky hill on the coast, known as Puncknowle Knoll, which has for centuries served as a landmark for mariners. 

A lovely scene in Puncknowle showing a youngster on a donkey, chickens and Puncknowle Post office in the background (Image: Claud Hider)

The church of St Mary is a small stone structure of early English style. With the exception of the north wall and the short tower this structure has been largely rebuilt at different times during the 19th century. The font and the tower are probably Norman. There are monuments in the church dating from the 17th century. The register dates from the year 1630.

Punckowle (Image: Claud Hider) A parochial school was built in 1851 in Puncknowle for 130 children.

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There was also a Wesleyan chapel in the parish and there used to be a coastguard station at Bexington.

(Image: Claud Hider) The soil is clay and the chief crops are wheat, oats and barley. The parish covers an area of 2040 acres of land and 120 acres of water and foreshore. The population in 1891 was 427 persons.

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A collection of views of 'Puncknoll' (Image: Claud Hider) This picture shows a composite postcard of views of 'Puncknoll' from a collection by Ken Farmer.

Mr Mattingly says: "This can be dated to 1922. For one year Claud Hider teamed up with Lawrence of Crewkerne to produce a rare series of postcards which have the initials of H & L in the bottom right hand corner.

"The following year in 1923, Claud opened his own Photographic Studio in South Street. To produce this Souvenir of 'Puncknoll' he obviously reused the earlier plates."