The Manor House - history - part one

The Manor House which stands on the corner of Burton Street and Mill Street, now known as Melton Wellness House, has a history and an importance in the town of Melton Mowbray that few would know from looking at it now.

Formerly the site of the ancient home of the Lords of the Manor of Melton which was demolished in the 1770s, the site was brought up by the 1st Lord Melbourne (father of  Queen Victoria's Prime Minister - Lord Melbourne)  who built a new house upon the site. 

The house was later demolished again when the Melbourne's sold the property for £900 to Mr Charles Hay Frewen of Cold Overton Hall, one of England's biggest landowners of the time, and a later Member of Parliament, who also bought Mill Close for stabling, and 5 acres behind the property (now the site of Pet Foods). He immediately pulled down the house and built the Manor House property which currently stands on the site, plus extensive stabling behind (only parts of which still stand on Mill Street and within Beeby's Yard)  for a price of £2,245 stipulating to his architect that it must be built in its entirety within 3 months.

Upon completion of the project, Frewen actually only lived in the property itself for a short period of time, preferring to spend his time in lodgings at the Harboro Hotel just down the street, then known as 'Burton End'  where he famously harangued electors from its windows threatening to "kill all foxes". His outspoken speech aroused strong feelings in the community and "throw Frewen ino the river" became a popular cry amongst the townspeople.
Next time - the Manor House in the period 1873-1891...