Moreteyne Manor

At the time of the Domesday Survey the overlordship of Marston Manor was with Nigel de Albini, a tenant, Constance de Wotton, married her second husband John de Moreteyn in the 1280’s and by 1316 John de Morteyn was holding the manor. The de Morteyn family held the manor until 1428. The property was then inherited by Thomas Reynes whose father Richard had been granted the property after pledging service to the de Morteyns. The Manor was then owned by the Reynes family and subsequently, through the marriage of a granddaughter Elizabeth to the Decon family.

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 Commons in 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 farmhouse 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 one of the finest restaurants and wedding reception venues in Bedfordshire, between November 1983 until the opening on 1st August 1985, when the name changed to Moreteyne Manor. Chef Mark Hickman and his wife Jacqui acquired and re-opened the restaurant in June 1996. They have run Moreteyne Manor country house restaurant as a husband & wife team to the present day.