Details
CIRENCESTER
SP0201 PARK LANE
578-1/6/257 (East side)
23/07/71 The Old Grammar School and
forecourt wall
GV II*
Former Grammar School, now house. Late mediaeval, 1534-60,
1640s and 1760s with C20 alterations and repairs. Coursed
squared limestone rubble, rendered brick to inner face of rear
wing to right; artificial stone slate roof to front, parapeted
and with coped verge to right, stone slate and Welsh slate to
rear; rebuilt brick left-end stack, rebuilt brick stack on
gablet to rear right, external stack to gable end of rear wing
to left with top rebuilt in brick. Mediaeval front range
rebuilt to right (solar range) 1640's has mediaeval wing to
rear right raised in 1760's, mid C16 wing to rear left and
addition to rear right wing, 1760's addition to rear centre.
Front is single-storey and attic; 3-window range to hall to
left; 2 storeys, attic and cellar; 3-window range to right.
Hall to left has three 3-light ovolo-moulded stone mullion and
transom windows, 3 lights high, with leaded glazing and
hoodmoulds, 3 hipped dormers with 2-light glazing bar
casements above; solar range to right has to first floor one
2-light ovolo-moulded stone mullion window with leaded glazing
and hoodmould, to right two C19 2/2-pane horned sashes with
concrete lintels and stone cills; ground floor has two
2/2-pane sashes in similar reveals to right, C20 plank door to
centre recessed within mediaeval round-headed moulded stone
surround with hoodmould and relieving arch. One hipped dormer
with 2-light timber casement. Side and rear elevations have
scattered fenestration of C18, C19 and C20 glazing bar sashes
and casements with gabled dormer to rear right, raking dormer
to rear left wing and C20 rooflights.
INTERIOR has plank and muntin screen dividing passage from
hall, to hall C17 panelling from Kent inserted c1948, C20
fireplace, 3 plastered beams with chamfers with run-out stops,
jib door leads to rear left - one plastered beam with chamfer
with run-out stop. Ground floor right has late C18 stone
chimneypiece with reeded pilasters with acanthus capitals,
frieze with festoon decoration and enriched cornice, plastered
beam with chamfer with run-out stop with 2 notches and plaster
leaf decoration (cf Dunstall House, Nos 9-17 Market Place, Nos
4 & 6 Silver Street (qv)).
1640's pierced splat balusters re-used to altered staircase
with stone spiral to upper flight. First floor solar has heavy
cross beams boxed out; bathroom to first floor centre possibly
former gallery to hall, small part of hall roof structure
visible in passage to first floor rear - possibly part of arch
brace; oak spiral staircase to front right attic, 2-bay
butt-purlin roof C17 or C18 to right front. Rear left wing has
3-bay trenched purlin roof with curved principals now not
load-bearing; cellar to front right has 2 heavy chamfered
beams. Attached forecourt wall approximately 5m high to left
with stone slate capping ramps down to front with ashlar
coping approximately 2m high, ramping up to approximately 2.5m
high to centre over pair of boarded studded doors with applied
mouldings and with ball finial to centre and ramping up to
right end to approximately 2.5m high with C20 plank door
similar to doors to front in right return.
Mediaeval range possibly constructed originally as civic
building, eg manorial court, became school 1458, 1507 or 1534,
certainly in school use by 1611; wing to rear left constructed
1534-60 under Elizabeth Tolley bequest; bad state of repair in
1590's led to rebuilding of 1640's when upper school created
by inserting floor in great hall to form present attic, range
to front right extensively reconstructed; mediaeval wing to
rear right raised 1760's and further range added between rear
wings.
Listing NGR: SP0209801993
