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The Lawn was formerly a swampty estuary, over which in ancient times the tide flowed. About 1800, Mr. John Edye Manning came into possession of this land and proceeded to reclaim it by raising the level, principally with the earth excavated in making Queen Street and Park Street.
At the end of the 18th century, the unreclaimed valley, then known as Tunnicliffe Waste, stretched from the sea up as far as the Church Street bridge and Town Mill. There were few buildings facing it, except around Beach Street and Mill Row, until about 1786, when Pleasant Row was built, and the York Hotel first licensed (as Tripe's 'New Inn').
Tunnicliffe Waste was later to be the site of Old Dawlish, including the Manor and its grounds.
The house called Manor House was built (by 1811) after the sale of the Manor of Dawlish by the Dean and Chaper. Its first occupant was Mr. T.J.I. Baker. It has of course nothing to do with the Manor, but is merely the name of the house. At the time of building it was on the extreme edge of the old town, and its building may not have involved the destruction of cottages.
The Lysons, writing in 1822, (after the channelling of Dawlish Water) 'The Dean and Chapter's estate at Dawlish was sold a few years ago under the power of the Act for the Redemption of Land Tax. The Manor was purchased by Richard Bales Esq., of Eastdon, who is the present proprietor. A newly built mansion called The Manor House has lately been purchased by Robert Long Esq.'
From this point until the 1940s little is known about the Manor and its occupants, except that at some stages in this period alterations were carried out. The original conservatory was pulled down and a ballroom built in its place. A new conservatory was built adjoining this. Also at some state an elaborate porch was built onto the front of the house; this was probably in the late Victorian times. The protruding windows on the front elevation are also believed to have been added after completion. The front of the Manor was almost certainly made up of 4 window bays originally. If you look back to the earlier photograph you can see an elaborate cast ironwork veranda. These were very fashionable during the Regency and Victorian periods. This was probably because cast iron was a relatively new material that could be used for inexpensive moulding.
In 1946 the Manor House was bought by the Dawlish Urban District Council. The whole house was used as new Offices for the Council and the Gardens were opened to the public.
After local Government reorganisation in 1974 the local Council did not need so much space. The house was taken over by Teignbridge District Council and rooms were let out. However, the building fell into disrepair and when the Dawlish Town Council bought the building back it was in need of extensive renovation. Councillors argued for and against the case of having the Manor as a Community Centre, but in the end it was decided to buy it back.
After a lot of hard work the Manor was finally re-opened on the 18th May, 1980.
Today the Manor is used for Council Meetings, the Town Clerk's Office, and generally as a community building. The people of Dawlish and visitors are still free to walk and sit in the Manor grounds.