Woburn Road, Marston Moreteyne, Bedfordshire,
MK43 0NQ

TEL/FAX:
01234-767003
Email:
moreteynemanor@aol.com

A History of Moreteyne Manor

From 1562 the manor House of the village was occupied by the Lord of the Manor, Thomas Snagge. The property then passed to his son, Sir Thomas Snagge who was MP for Bedford in 1586, Speaker in the House of Commonsin 1588 and Sheriff of the county in 1607. Sir Thomas held the Manor for 32 years till his death in 1626 when it passed to his eldest son, Thomas, the second member of the family to be made sheriff. He died in 1675 and his sons, Thomas and Edward successfully inherited. The latter was succeeded by his only son Edward in 1715 who died in 1739.

The Snagges then sold the property to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough who left it to her grandson the Honorable John Spencer. the Spencers continued to hold the property until 1811 after which the Manor passed to the Alington Family. The Duke of Bedford bought the Manor from Mr Julius Alington of Great Barford in 1873. The building was substantially renovated in 1880 when it was converted in to the farm house of the Moat Farm. During the works all the oak panelling was removed to its present location in Woburn Abbey.

The farm and house were then sold in 1920 to the Franklin family who later sold it to the present owners' father, Mr E. J. Hillson in 1948 for the sum of £7,500. The house was converted into a restaurant between November 1983 until the opening on 1st August 1985, when the name changed to Moreteyne Manor. Renowned chef Mark Hickman and his wife Jacqui acquired and re-opened the restaurant in June 1996.