Details
SHREWSBURY
SJ4912NW COUNCIL HOUSE COURTYARD
653-1/11/256 (South East side)
10/01/53 The Old Council House
GV II*
Council house, later episcopal palace, now residence. C15 and
C17 with additions principally of c1840. Original parts are
coursed and squared red sandstone, but most of house is
externally brick, with plain tiled roofs.
PLAN: 2-storeyed, one long range facing south-east, with
gabled porch and wing on NW elevation, and 2 further parallel
wings now separate dwellings (The Nun's House and The Centre
House, qv).
EXTERIOR: long range facing garden has single wall of
sandstone, with fenestration all of c1830, wide 3-window range
in a Gothic style: 4-light mullioned French windows to left,
with segmentally-arched heads, and paired mullioned windows
above. Central canted bay window with stone mullions and
parapet with 2-light round-arched windows over beneath gable
with fretted barge-boards. Lancet window and canted bay window
with tall lancet lights in right hand bay. Brick gable wall
with paired mullioned windows with hoodmoulds.
Elevation to courtyard has partial coursed and squared
sandstone rubble walls raised in brick and incorporating a
small 5-light stone mullioned window to the right, with
timber-framed gabled porch probably C17 but restored and
re-faced in C19. Framed with close studding, with segmental
arch carried on Mannerist enriched pilasters, and with boars
carved in the spandrels. Small mullioned window over. Inner
doorway a 4-centred arch with hoodmould over, and relieving
arch: in the tympanum formed by the relieving arch is the
inscription, "Unless the lord build the house, they have
laboured in vayne that built it".
Left of porch, a wing of c1840 projects: brick with paired
2-light mullioned windows with round-arched heads and
hoodmoulds on each floor beneath the gable with fretted
barge-boards.
INTERIOR: much of the detail is C17 though an extensive
re-modelling in C19 has altered the positions of some earlier
features (and possibly introduced elements from elsewhere).
Main hall subdivided during C19 and half now forms part of
neighbouring property (Council House Cottage, qv). Very rich
decorative scheme, with wall-panelling with arcaded frieze,
and tympana over doorways with carved angels. Above the
wall-panelling a lavish plasterwork frieze, with mythical
beasts, swags, birds. Stone bosses carry moulded beams of
square panelled ceiling.
Bosses are cut by partition wall dividing this room from the
adjoining one in middle of house, suggesting that this may not
be an original wall: if so, the plasterwork frieze must have
been re-instated. One boss over window is dated 1634.
Fireplace in wall which now divides this house from Council
House Cottage, so not in its original position. Possibly early
C17, a Mannerist style with lavishly carved woodwork,
incorporating grotesque figures.
In adjoining room wall-panelling probably of C17, and 2
columns with strapwork enrichment on high pedestals partially
divide off one end of the room. Unlikely that any of these are
in situ. Staircase dates from early C19 re-modelling.
Wing of c1840 forms former chapel, which incorporates re-sited
C17 wall-panelling divided by fluted Doric pilasters, and a
fireplace which is dated 1670. Roof structure over central
section survives from C15 or early C16 building: 2 trusses, in
gabled cross wing, king-post and collar, and cambered tie-beam
truss, with 2-tiers of cusped wind braces. Crown post truss in
main range of roof.
HISTORICAL NOTE: earliest reference to the building is 1501,
and the stone walls and roof structure possibly date from
around this time. A building on this site had been used as the
meeting place of the Council of the Welsh Marches, which has
given it its name, but the present building owes much of its
form to programmes of building dating from the early C17 and
early C19. It was until recently the residence of the Bishop
of Shrewsbury, and formed part of a larger residence now
sub-divided.
Listing NGR: SJ4944612710
