Details
PITTON AND FARLEY CHURCH ROAD, Farley
SU 22 NW
(south side)
10/124 The Almshouses, also
known as Fox's Hospital
(formerly listed as the Wardenry)
23.3.60
GV I
Almshouses and wardenry with schoolroom, 1688-90 by Alexander Fort,
Joiner to His Majesty's Office of Works, for Sir Stephen Fox,
Paymaster to the forces of James II, Charles II and Queen Anne,
also benefactor and collaborator of Sir Christopher Wren at Chelsea
Hospital. Flemish brickwork (from Kniqhtswood), Edward Holder,
bricklayer. Tiled roofs. Symmetrical, central block 2 storeys and
attic comprising warden's accommodation with some communal rooms,
and wings each of 6 dwellings for poor aged persons, men to east,
women to west. Total cost £1835.8s.8d. Wardenry of 4 window bays,
two tall panelled doors with glazed upper section and overlights,
the right door fixed, probably originally to great hall cum
schoolroom. Wide segmental relieving arches over doors and flat
canopy on brackets with wrought iron bracket supports. Stained oak
cross windows with leaded glazing, the ground floor windows having
segmental arches. Plat band at floor level. Between upper
windows, centrally, a Portland stone dedication panel with broken
pediment reading : DED OPT MAX Bonarum Omnium Largitori / ISThoc
Quantutumcunque Grati Animi / Monumentum acceptum Refert / SCHOLAE
hujus et PTOCHOTROPHII / Fundator humilis et gratabundus / Anno
Salutis Reparatae / MDCLXXXI / Quid Tibi Diritiae prosunt quas
congeris Hospes / Solasquas dederis semper habebis opes. Coved
eaves. Roof hipped with 2 hipped dormers. Four stacks on side
walls. To rear, two conjoined gables with minor flanking gables at
lower level. Door in third bay with flat canopy over. Almshouses
originally comprised two rooms, one above the other, and
buttery/fuel store at rear, later altered at rear to provide 2
bedrooms under hipped roof. Elevation to each has 2 close spaced
stained oak 2-light windows on upper floor, one and 2-panelled door
on ground floor, the doors paired together under floating hipped
tiled roof. Single door nearest wardenry leads to (?)laundry on
right, kitchen on left.
Interior: Right room, probably original hall, now living room, has
Purbeck fireplace, probably early C18, and C16-C17 cupboard doors
set early C20 as overmantel. Similar fireplace in dining room to
rear of hall. Principal chamber on first floor, front, has good
plaster ceiling with moulded arms of Sir Stephen with supporters
(one a fox fretty, other plain), and other arms in 3 corner
cartouches. Fireplace early C18, moulded surround with moulded
surround and pulvinated frieze, and overmantel with oil portrait
of Sir Stephen in eared architraved frame. Rear parlour has
bolection moulded panelling and wood cornice, also a bolection
fireplace. Cornice in smaller bedroom and C17 and C18 panelling,
augmented in C19, fixed elsewhere. Almshouses have single
fireplace and newel stair. Those in east wing altered to form
larger units. Rear wall of Wardenry extended out to form garden
enclosed in high brick walls, the end cross wall rebuilt c.1985.
(Wren Society Publications, xviii 66, xix, 88 and RCHM).
Listing NGR: SU2247029523
