Prior's Hall

Details

The following building shall be upgraded to Grade I:-

TL 5331 WIDDINGTON HIGH STREET

42/809 Prior's Hall

GV 26.11.51 II*

and the entry shall be amended to read:-

TL 5331 WIDDINGTON HIGH STREET

42/809 Prior's Hall

GV 26.11.51 I

House, probably originally a chapel. Circa C10 or C11; remodelled as house circa C14; extended in circa late C17 or early C18 and with C19 alterations. Flint rubble with Barnack stone quoins rendered; rendered timber frame brick and flint extension. Plain tile roof with gabled ends and hipped corner. Brick axial and gable end stacks. Plan: Overall L-shaped plan. The Saxon chapel is the E wing, its E end has a small (chancel) arch and blocked double-splayed window in the gable above; and the N wall of the lean-to on the E end is probably the remains of the chancel. Converted into a house and in the C14 its plan comprised a 2½-bay open hall at the E end of the nave heated from an open hearth fire and an almost as long 2-storey part at the west end ofthe nave. The open hall was floored and an axial stack inserted against the partition in the C17. The W wing appears to be a late C17 or early C18 addition and contains a stairhall and parlour with a kitchen and service rooms in a wing to the rear; the rear wing altered and extended in the C19. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 2:3 window N front, the longer LH 2 bays has long-and-short quoins exposed. Circa C18 3 and 1- light casements on first floor with leaded panes and C20 3 and 4-light casements on ground floor with doorcase to right of centre with canopy on shaped brackets and glazed and panelled door. On left (E) end the lean-to containing blocked chancel arch with long-and-short quoins. At rear (S) circa late C15 or C16 moulded wood 6-light first floor window and 4-light ground floor window might be remains of hall window. Flint and brick wing on left with catslide roof over outshut and casement windows. Interior: LH room (former hall) chamfered axial beams with hollow step stops and blocked fireplace with exposed timber bressummer. Centre room plastered cross-beam. C18 2-panel doors and C17 panelled door to attic and late C19 staircase. W range has circa late C17 clasped purlin roof. 'Nave of chapel' has plain C14 crown post roof of light scantling; smoke-blackened 1 1/2 bays over hall and long clean bay to west with partition between remains of smoke-blackened plaster; tall crown-posts with long curved longitudinal braces only, the collar-purlin at W end with splayed scarf joint with undersquinted abutments; common rafter couples complete and with ashlar-pieces halved and side-lapped. Note: Belonged to one Thorkell (Thurchill) before 1066 and given to the Abbey of St Valery in Picardy after the Conquest. In 1377 confiscated by Edward III and given to William of Wykeham. Remained in ownership of New College Oxford until 1920. Sources: RCHM4. Country Life August 1989, pp 84 & 85.

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WIDDINGTON HIGH STREET TL 5331 42/809 Prior's Hall GV 26.11.51 II*

The following building shall be upgraded to Grade I:-

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WIDDINGTON HIGH STREET 1. 5222 (west side) Prior's Hall TL 5331 42/809 26.11.51

II* GV

2. At an earlier date the hall was also known as Stone Hall because the walls of one part of the house, behind the present plaster, are of massive C13 stonework. The hall with its C15 outbuildings and great barn were enclosed by a moat, part of which still remains. It was owned by the Prior of St Valery in Picardy until the later C14. The C13 stone building was of rectangular shape and was much altered in the C16 when the upper storey and chimney stack were inserted. In the C18 a wing was added at the west end extending to the south, making it an L-shaped plan. The present house is of 2 storeys and attics with 4 window range on the north front. The upper storey windows are old leaded casements and the ground storey has modern casements. The west front has 3 window range of modern casements (one window blocked on the upper storey) and one canted bay on the ground storey. Roof tiled. The interior has an open fireplace and the roof retains some smoke blackened timbers. (RCHM 4).

Listing NGR: TL5372631755

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

415893

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Country Life in August, (1989), 84 85

End of official list entry

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