Manor Farm comprises of a courtyard farm range and a farmhouse, both of which are Grade II listed buildings.

Newton farm was planned in the 1860s possibly associated with Inclosure Award of 1864 involving enclosure of Newton Down and transferring remainder to landowners in parish. Original plans held in County Record Office show buildings grouped round a courtyard close to the farmhouse, one plan dated 1852 endorsed 'For Sir J J Guest Bart MP'. An undated plan shows an E shaped farm complex, clearly not as built; another shows a 3 sided courtyard, not unlike present arrangement but lacking the long S cow-house range, which was most probably part of the original construction as it shares the king post roof construction illustrated elsewhere. Elevation drawings of 1862 show N and S ranges, the former with waggon house and granary above, similar though not identical to present arrangement. There is thus no plan of the complex as built, but the series shows an interesting development in planning the accommodation. It was designed by architect David Vaughan of Bonvilston who practised 1840-1891.

The barn has a cobbled floor to porch, flagged inside. There is a two storey central threshing bay and dividing walls on both sides with first floor doorway to the west.

A rectangular courtyard is entered from the south-east corner with former outer tracks also to outward facing entrances. Built of stone rubble with tooled ashlar or blue brick dressings and deep Welsh slate roofs with overhanging eaves. Anti-clockwise from SE corner: E loosebox stable range formerly mainly faced outwards but additional inner doors have been made subsequently; boarded doors and window openings have segmental arched heads and roughly dressed voussoirs. N range, the tallest, has central barn with tall segmental arched doorway to gabled porch with chamfered ventilation slits, rectangular to sides, round headed in apex; on the outer wall to E is a Dutch bay or carriage bay, a 6 bay ground floor arcade, blocked at end, in dressed stone; square headed openings above with sills under cambered arches to former granary reached by stone steps at end adjacent to stables; other loft W of main porch and cambered headed openings on each floor to rear adjacent to former rickyard. Ground floor has internal dividing long wall providing further accomodation reached from main courtyard with cambered arched heads to some doors and windows but some later alterations. Three bay range to W now without slates reported as former dairy has segmental arched windows and doorways. Cowshed range to S has 7 bays, blue brick segmental arched surrounds to planked doors, 5 slit windows on outside wall. Cistern or slurry tank at NE corner adjacent to granary steps.

The farmhouse is of a simple Gothic style. Built of coursed and snecked rock-faced masonary with ashlar dressings, Welsh slate roof with overhanging eaves, ridge and end stacks. Plan of two parallel wings with central passage joined by a front cross wing. 2 storeys and cellar. Main frontage has gabled bay right which breaks forward; margin-glazed sash window on each floor have Tudor-arched heads; in apex a small segmental pointed arched niche. To left a two window range of similar windows, one to ground floor. Central porch has steep pitched roof, stone steps to Tudor-arched doorway, niche above and chamfered two light side window; front door has elaborate surround incorporating 2 lancets each side, trefoil headed overlight and decorative spandrels. Side elevation to right has hipped roof to rear, similar sash windows and canted bay with pitched roof, overhanging eaves, segmental pointed lights; similar windows and bay to side elevation left.

Source: CADW listed buildings database (listing refs: 19370 and 19367)

Photographed during aerial reconnaissance by RCAHMW on 17th November 2011.
L. Osborne, 8th March 2013.