The Castle

Details

WISBECH MUSEUM SQUARE TF 4609 (West Side) 6/119 The Castle GV II*

Villa, built in 1816 by Joseph Medworth (b.1752, d.1827), reusing material from the mansion built by Secretary Thurloe in 1656 designed by Peter Mills (c.1600, d.1670) and demolished in 1815. Grey gault brick with reused stone dressings. Three storeys with basement, two projecting wings to east: shallow slated hipped roofs with two symmetrical stacks. East facade; main entrance approached by six stone steps with railings returning around basement forecourt. Double recessed eliptical brick arch to double, half-glazed doors with blind fanlight and interlacing glazing bars. Interlacing glazing bars to pseudo windows flanking entrance with stone cills. Storey above entrance possibly later - C19, rendered and originally with wooden balustrade. Matching wings have one first floor nine- paned hung sash window in double recessed segmental brick arch, and one sixteen-paned window. Two rainwater heads with reeded decoration (one similar at Rose and Crown). Garden facade of seven 'bays'. Stone details reused from original Castle. Rusticatd stone quoins at first floor, rendered ground floor. Moulded, and off set stone bands at first and second floor. Stone window cills and architraves; moulded stone doorcase with large carved stone brackes supporting flat balustraded canopy. Door, panelled and half-glazed. First floor balcony door half- glazed with fanlight similar to window heads. Seven second floor eight-paned hung sash windows in moulded wooden architraves. Six, first floor sixteen-paned hung sash windows with interlacing glazing bars at their heads. Two, recessed casement windows in segmental aches and three blind windows at ground floor. Interior. C14 or C15 glass depicting martyrdom of St. Edmund. Central hall flanked by two main rooms and boxed staircase with passages leading to small rooms in wings. Reused material from C17 Castle includes stone floor, four, panelled doors with shouldered and enriched architraves and three false doors; seven carved over-doors, and cartouches over main street entrance. Upper section of chimney piece in drawing room, and moulded ceiling cornice. Some reused, panelled doors in basement. The villa has been graded II* for its associations with Joseph Medworth, and indirectly with Peter Mills who it is believed designed the original C17 building of which so much material has survived in the present building. Colvin, pp286, 390, 1954. VCH Cambs, p.242. Pevsner, Buildings in England, p.502. NMR (C. Godfrey, Wisbech Collction), 1982. G. Annis, A History of Wisbech Castle, 1977. Wisbech Society Annual Report, 1960. Histories - Watson, 1827, Walker and Craddock, 1847, Gardiner, 1898. Prints and photographs, W. & F. Mus, c18 and C19.

Listing NGR: TF4626209567

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

48317

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Walker, N, Craddock, T, The History of Wisbech and the Fens, (1849)
Gardiner, F J, History of Wisbech and Neighbourhood, (1898)
Salzman, L F, The Victoria History of the County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, (1953), 242
Annis, G, A History of Wisbech Castle, (1977)
Colvin, H M, A Biographical Dictionary of English Architects 1600-1840, (1954), 286
Colvin, H M, A Biographical Dictionary of English Architects 1600-1840, (1954), 390
Watson, W, An Historical Account of the Ancient Town and Port of Wisbech, (1827)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Cambridgeshire, (1970), 502
Wisbech Society Annual Report in Wisbech Society Annual Report, (1960)

End of official list entry