History of Selly Manor

The History of Selly Manor

Early photograph of Selly Manor on the original site

Selly Manor was originally about a mile away from its present site.
Dating to at least 1327 it is a medieval manor house with Tudor extensions.
It is thought to have been built by the Jouette family who were the local lords
of the tithing (tax collectors), but unfortunately little is known of its early history.
Gradually over time it became less important and by the late 19th century the house
had been divided into three tenements.

Photograph showing the numbered timbers to help move and rebuild the house

With the development of the new Victorian terraced houses it was decided that
Selly Manor should be demolished. George Cadbury decided to buy the house in
1907, and have it rebuilt it in his new village of Bournville. After the planning and
surveying work had been carried out, the dismantling began in 1912. The house
was literally taken down piece by piece, and everything was numbered to assist the rebuilding work.

Selly Manor on the original site

It took four years to complete the work, and the house opened as a museum in 1917.

Link to
Minworth Greaves.