Sherborne Castle

Details

CASTLETON SHERBORNE CASTLE ST 6416 12/27 Sherborne Castle 11.7.51 GV I Country House in grounds. Late C16 rectangular central block with its angle turrets, for Sir Walter Raleigh. Enlarged by the addition of the four wings of 2 storeys with cellars and hexagonal towers in 1625 by Sir John Digby. Alteration in the C17 and C18. Drastically restored in 1859-60 by G D Wingfield-Digby. Rubble-stone walls, stuccoed, with freestone dressings. Lead-covered roofs. Many ashlar stone stacks, both square and elongated hexagonal, with moulded plinths balustraded and cornices. South front: four storeys, with mannered gabling over the top-storey, and parapet with the lower two divided by strings. 3 windows, cross-transomed stone mullion windows of three, four, three lights, moulded cornices as labels over. Single light windows each side of top window. South entrance: round-headed doorway, framed by fluted Roman Doric half-columns supporting an entablature. Stone achievement of arms of Digby, earl of Bristol. Panelled door. The flanking hexagonal turrets have restored 2-light mullion-and-transom windows, and are finished with plain parapets and heraldic beasts or chimney stacks. The north front, similar to south front, restored doorway has an enriched entablature with a 4-light window over, in place of the achievement-of-arms. The east front of central block: 3 storeys with attics, finished with a shaped gable. Restored mullion-and-transom windows. Flanking turrets each have a square- headed doorway, north turret door blocked. The added wings are of 2 storeys and 3 bays, finished with a balustraded parapet. Windows are c. late C17 insertions, square-headed with eaved architraves, console-brackets, entablatures and pediments. Internally, to the courtyard are C19 mullion-and-transom windows. Between the wings are balustraded stone screens with central entrance, flanked by shell-niches, entablature and Digby crest. Interior: Geometrical C17 plaster ceilings with various devices in the Red Drawing Room, Lady Bristol's Room, Green Drawing Room, Boudoir. Early C17 panelling, very extensive, behind the Library bookcases, in the Oak Room (with enclosure). Lady Bristol's Room. C17 and later fireplaces with overmantels, in the Red Drawing Room (Plate 94, (RCHM), and the Green Drawing Room, both with achievement-of-arms of Digby in gadrooned panels. In each of the hexagonal bays is a smaller fireplace with Corinthian side columns supporting an entablature. The Library is lined with C18 Gothic fittings; bookcases have ogee trefoil-headed arcading on clustered columns, with circular spandrel niches containing busts. Coved arcaded cornice. The house is unusual in its original plan, and extended plan. (RCHM Dorset I, p.66(5))

Listing NGR: ST6491416404

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

105567

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Inventory of Dorset, (1974), 66

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 12 Dorset,

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