Author Jane Austen (1775–1817) was a frequent visitor at the Manydown great house circa 1799–1806 and received her only known proposal of marriage there.

The connection with the local priory continued until the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, when, in 1540, King Henry VIII granted Manydown to the Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral.

Harris Bigg-Wither (1781–1833) inherited Manydown when his father Lovelace died in 1813, and he rented it out and moved to nearby Tangier Park.

The long association of the manor with the Wither and Bigg-Wither family finally ended when the estate was purchased by Sir Edward Bates (1816–1896) in 1871.

Life at Manydown influenced Austen's works, providing material for her to create her famous and lasting legacy to English literature.

The ensuing confrontation ended with the Austen sisters demanding that their brother James abandon his duties as a clergyman and escort them back to Bath.

The house itself was of considerable antiquity, some parts dating back to the 14th century, and included a central well, with a unique raising gear mechanism such that water could easily be conveyed to the upper rooms.

Modernization had provided an elegant staircase leading to a grand first-floor drawing room which had a large bay window overlooking the impressive grounds.