The Hungerford Almshouses

Details

CORSHAM POUND PILL ST 87 70 5/333 The Hunger ford Almshouses GV I

Almshouses, Warden's House and free school, 1668, built for Lady Margaret Hungerford of Corsham Court. Rubble stone and stone tiled roofs, two and a half storeys, 'L'-plan with main front to west, Warden's House to left and schoolroom to right, and almshouse range running east, facing north to Lacock Road. West range has hipped roof with central timber cupola and leaded cap. Ornate projecting gabled centre with moulded coping, apex oval light and elaborate first floor carved Hungerford arms in pilastered frame with open segmental pediment, further arms over pediment, crests over pediment angles, inscription panel below framed by pedestals to pilasters with lion masks. Moulded elliptical-arched doorway with carved spandrels in Ionic columned surround with entablature, broken forward over columns, and rosettes in pulvinated frieze. Stone seats within and framed plank double doors in moulded elliptical-arched surround with carved spandrels. Keyed ovals to ground floor sides, 3-light first floor mullion windows with arched heads to centre lights and hoodmoulds over. Recessed chamfered mullions and leaded lights here and elsewhere. To right, large schoolroom with attic over, 2 dormer gables with 3-light mullion windows and hoodmoulds. Two large leaded elliptical-arched 2-light windows below with arched heads to lights. South end has similar ground floor window and similar dormer gable above, rear wall has large central outside stack with diagonal shafts, 2 dormer gables and 2 large elliptical-arched single-light ground floor windows. Warden's House, to left, has one dormer gable with 3-light window and hoodmould, dripcourses over ground and first floors, on first floor stepped over early C18 twelve-pane sash in raised moulded surround and continued over 2-light mullion window in angle to porch. Ground floor dripcourse stepped over similar early C18 sash and continued to right over two 2-light windows. North side has range of 7 coped gables, each with 2-light windows, one gable to Warden's House, 6 to 6 almshouses. Continuous stepped dripmoulds to first and ground floors. Almshouses have regular front, slight variation in end wall of Warden's House, with first floor and ground floor C18 twelve-pane sashes as on west front, dripmoulds stepped over and single light to left on first floor, 2-light to ground floor left. Almshouses have even range of 6 first floor 3- light windows interrupted at centre for elaborate armorial decoration, smaller version of that on west porch. Ground floor windows and doors in thrice repeated arrangement of 3-light, paired doors with 2-light between and 3-light, dripcourse stepped over paired doors. Oak plank doors. Over central carved arms, between gables, is ashlar stepped parapet. Rear of almshouse range has 6 chimney gables with diagonal shafts, 3 groups of three 2-light first floor windows with hoodmoulds, ground floor stone-tiled lean to with timber posts and 6 rear doors with two 2-light windows between each of first five, one 2-light each side of sixth. Oak plank doors. Lean-to returns slightly at rear of Warden's House. which has chimney gable to right, first floor arched single light to left over oak plank door to cross-passage in moulded elliptical- arched surround. Interiors have remarkable complete fittings of 1668, notably in the schoolroom with carved fronted gallery at north end, canted-fronted master's dais at south end, 2 ranges of panelled school benches down west wall and half of east wall, square enclosures of benches each side of dais and unusual assistant master's seat integrated into front of dais wth front legs, seat and arms projecting. Fine moulded stone fireplace. Plain plastered 10-panel ceiling. Cross- passage to north with Warden's House beyond. Stair Hall with fine carved woodwork, fretted arches over south door and foot of stair. Dog-leg stair with finials and pendants to newels, closed strings, carved balusters and heavy moulded rail. Tudor-arched fireplaces to rear of stair hall, first floor rear and one attic room. North- west corner rooms altered in early C18. Almshouse range interiors not inspected but continuous attic loft of some 14 bays with tie- beam-and-collar trusses, original curved tension braces surviving only to last 2 collars. (Country Life, 83 44).

Listing NGR: ST8734170176

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

315361

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Country Life in Country Life, ()
Country Life in Country Life, ()

End of official list entry

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