Dulverton House (Kings School)

Details

GLOUCESTER

SO8318NW CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS 844-1/8/51 Dulverton House (King's School) 23/01/52 (Formerly Listed as: CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS 'The Cloisters' (Dulverton House))

GV II*

Infirmary's Lodging, now independent school house, part of the King's School. The core of the house probably the Infirmarer's Lodging attached to the Infirmary of the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter, with some remains of the infirmary chapel of St Bridget; after 1540 remodelled and enlarged as the cathedral's prebendal house assigned to the prebendary of the third stall. C13 and late C14 with C17 and C18 additions and alterations, substantially remodelled in C19 (mainly c1860's). Rubble with ashlar details, timber-framing, brick, render, tiled roofs with coped gables, hipped dormers, ashlar stacks. PLAN: a complex development of ranges enclosing a small court or light well; the monastic structure, mostly encapsulated within later walls, is principally a late C14 range of three bays aligned north to south on the east side; wings added in C17 on the south side at the west end and on the east side at the south end; another C19 wing added to south side of the east wing; the west and north sides extensively remodelled in C19. EXTERIOR: two storeys, cellar and attic; the north end wall of squared rubble with a large gable to left and smaller and lower gable to right; at the north-west corner the C19 arched entrance doorway is angled below moulded corbelling which supports the corner above. In the north gable-end wall, in the north end of the west wall on both floors and in the gables irregular fenestration of single, double and triple-light stone-framed casement windows with a trefoil head to each light. On the west side further to right the west end of the south range is indicated by a length of wall in brick, with an early C17 four-light stone-framed and mullioned casement with eared hoodmould on each floor; at right-hand end the side of the west gabled wing on the south side is of rubble on the ground floor and rendered above; the gabled end of the wing is of ashlar with a three-light stone-framed and mullioned casement with hoodmould on each floor and an exposed roof tie-beam in the gable, on the east side of the wing a tall ashlar stack. On the south side between the wings irregular fenestration

including two C19 sashes with central vertical glazing bars. On the east side the cross-gabled wing at the left hand end of the east range; the front of the east range on the ground floor supports three tall stacks, on the ground floor a central doorway of c1600 with chamfered jambs and a vertical-plank, iron studded door, a sash to left with glazing bars (2x4 panes) and to right a stone-framed and mullion two-light casement; on the first floor three C19 stone-framed, mullion and upper transom, two-light casements, to the attic three hipped roof dormers each with a pair of casements; on the wing to left a sundial and two scratched dates 1726 and 1743. INTERIOR: originally the ground floor of the east range was the timber-framed undercroft to a first floor hall with an open timber roof; within the former undercroft a central, lateral row of chamfered oak posts set on moulded stone bases, the chamfers stopped under miniature, trefoiled arches carved in the solid; at the heads of the posts solid oak brackets are each carved with a figure, probably a monk; posts and brackets support a massive lateral oak beam under the floor of the former hall. On the west side of the range a late C13 stone doorway with a Caernarvon arch lintel; the upper floor of the range originally open into the roof, but an attic floor and partitions inserted later; the roof now partly exposed in the attic has trusses with moulded arched braces to the collar ties and slightly curved wind braces to the purlins; in the light well the west wall is timber-framed; on the first floor a room with panelling of c1600 with carved frieze panels reset above the fireplace. In the cellar at the north end of the west range a masonry wall at the north end probably the remains of the south wall of the Infirmary Chapel. A house of great archaeological interest. (Eward S: No Fine but a Glass of Wine: Salisbury: 1985-; BOE: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean: London: 1976-: 226; Welander D: The History, Art and Architecture of Gloucester Cathedral: Stroud, Gloucestershire: 1991-).





Listing NGR: SO8317018847

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

472128

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Welander, D, The History Art and Architecture of Gloucester Cathedral, (1991)
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970), 226
Eward, S, No Fine but a Glass of Wine Cathedral Life at Gloucester, (1985)

End of official list entry

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