The King's House and College of Sarum St Michael
COLLEGE OF SARUM ST MICHAEL, 65, THE CLOSE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1355814
- Date first listed:
- 28-Feb-1952
- List Entry Name:
- The King's House and College of Sarum St Michael
- Statutory Address:
- COLLEGE OF SARUM ST MICHAEL, 65, THE CLOSE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2006-04-16
- Reference:
- IOE01/14797/11
- Rights:
- © Mr Peter Read. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1355814
- Date first listed:
- 28-Feb-1952
- List Entry Name:
- The King's House and College of Sarum St Michael
- Statutory Address 1:
- COLLEGE OF SARUM ST MICHAEL, 65, THE CLOSE
- Statutory Address 2:
- THE KING'S HOUSE, 65, THE CLOSE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- COLLEGE OF SARUM ST MICHAEL, 65, THE CLOSE
- Statutory Address:
- THE KING'S HOUSE, 65, THE CLOSE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Salisbury
- National Grid Reference:
- SU1410529487
Details
THE CLOSE 1. 1594 No 65 (The King's House), (College of Sarum St Michael) SU 1429 NW 3/8 SU 1429 SW 5/8 28.2.52.
I GV
2. C13/C14 altered C16 and C17 and with elaborate modern additions chiefly on west side, which have destroyed the character of that front. The east front is 2 storeys and attic part of rubble stone and flint with stone dressings and part brick with stone dressings. Old tile roof. The older part of the house has 3 stone gables each with one 3-light stone mullioned leaded casement. The left hand gable partly blocked by modern wing to left hand.
In bay next left hand gable is a 2-storey projecting gabled and buttressed porch with room over. The porch entrance is a C14 or very early C15 moulded arch, and the porch itself has stone fan vaulting. The inner door is probably original with planted cusped panel shapes on a ledged oak door, and in a similar archway. One 2-light mullioned casement to room over porch. The 2 right hand gables each have large 10-light stone mullioned and transomed leaded casements on 1st floor and similar 12-light on ground floor. Traces of older windows visible in this portion which formerly was Great Hall. A C16-17 extension to right hand is brick with 3-light stone mullioned attic casement (restored) and 2-storey projecting bay with splayed angles and 30-light moulded stone mullioned and transomed window on 1st floor and similar 20-light on ground floor. All leaded lights. One tall narrow similar 6-light window in right hand comer at upper level and 2-light on ground floor. 4 storey C16 wing projects at right hand. Irregular casements and door, and modern additions. All gables have dressed stone copings with small finials. The west front has a similar gabled portion of brick with large mullioned window to left hand with date of 1661 on a stone. The remainder of front obscurred by later work. C19 college extensions on the side include the dormitories of 1873 and wing with chapel of 1899, the latter with stained glass by Kempe. Interior: evidence of open hall survives, the east-west entrances are still in line, that to west now inside house. In room behind porch to north a Georgian Ionic screen replacing original hall screen. The room has a fine moulded fireplace as has the room to south of it. The roof structure also survives with smoke louvre truss, cusped windbraces and is continued to south with plain windbraces in 2 tiers. To north on 1st floor a room on west side with C16 plaster ceiling of interlaced geometrical pattern. The house was the original Prebendal residence of the Abbot of Sherborne. After the Reformation residence of Thomas Sadler, Registrar to Bishops of Sarum, who entertained James I here hence the name. The house became a Teacher Training College for Woman Teachers in 1852 and is described in Thomas Hardy's "Jude the Obscure".
All the listed buildings in the Close form an outstanding group.
Listing NGR: SU1411829505
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 319054
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Hardy, T, Jude the Obscure, ()
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 17-Jun-2026 at 22:36:28.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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