10. THE MANOR HOUSEThe Manor House in Tunn Street is a 17th century stuccoed house with a tiled hipped roof with moulded eaves, it has an early 19th century brick addition to the south. Its deeds go back to 1680. It was part of the Manor of Fakenham and was previously named The Garden House. Three generations of Peckovers lived here.
It is in the oldest part of the town and was used as a Nurses Home in the late 19th century. Though there were several nurses living here, it is not clear where they nursed as there is no record of a local hospital at that time. To the north of the Manor House on the same side of the street that confusingly has become Quaker Lane (Tunn Street veers off towards the Market Square) was The Dukes Head and beyond that the Quaker Meeting Room, now replaced by the flats in Quaker Court. This was originally a barn converted in 1689 immediately after the passing of the Act of Toleration when Quakers were no longer persecuted. It ceased to be used for worship in 1811. Prior to the Act Edmund Peckover had been fined a total of £200, an enormous sum, for holding illegal religious meetings. Some time later. Joseph Peckover built the Fakenham Almshouses near here in what was then called Almshouse Street. 
The Manor house as it is today,
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It's unknown where the Nurses worked after living at The Manor House as there are no records of a local hospital in the area at that time.
The Old Quaker Meeting House prior to demolition.
Now walk to the south along Tunn Street where the next Plaque can be found on the last cottage on the left. |
