Cheltenham College Gymnasium, Pavilion, Five Courts and Attached Railings

CHELTENHAM COLLEGE GYMNASIUM, PAVILION, FIVE COURTS AND ATTACHED RAILINGS, THIRLESTAINE ROAD

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1388126
Date first listed:
14-Dec-1983
List Entry Name:
Cheltenham College Gymnasium, Pavilion, Five Courts and Attached Railings
Statutory Address:
CHELTENHAM COLLEGE GYMNASIUM, PAVILION, FIVE COURTS AND ATTACHED RAILINGS, THIRLESTAINE ROAD
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Date:
2007-01-02
Reference:
IOE01/16249/28
Rights:
© Helmut Schulenburg. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1388126
Date first listed:
14-Dec-1983
Date of most recent amendment:
26-Nov-1998
List Entry Name:
Cheltenham College Gymnasium, Pavilion, Five Courts and Attached Railings
Statutory Address 1:
CHELTENHAM COLLEGE GYMNASIUM, PAVILION, FIVE COURTS AND ATTACHED RAILINGS, THIRLESTAINE ROAD

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHELTENHAM COLLEGE GYMNASIUM, PAVILION, FIVE COURTS AND ATTACHED RAILINGS, THIRLESTAINE ROAD

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Gloucestershire
District:
Cheltenham (District Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SO 94976 21350

Details

CHELTENHAM

SO9521SW THIRLESTAINE ROAD 630-1/24/931 (North side) 14/12/83 Cheltenham College Gymnasium, Pavilion, Fives Courts and attached railings (Formerly Listed as: THIRLESTAINE ROAD Cheltenham College Gymnasium, Railings to Cheltenham College Playing Field)

GV II

Gymnasium, pavilion and fives courts with attached railings and gates. 1864 by FH Lockwood with later additions and alterations including c1960s upper stages to pavilion. Gault brick with red and black brick patterning and hipped roofs, that to gymnasium is hipped; iron railings and gates. Severely symmetrical Gothic in polychrome materials. EXTERIOR: Fives Courts: single tall storey, 4 bays with lean-to at right. Each bay has pilaster between and double plank doors with divided lights over. Sloped roof. Severely plain at rear with upper frieze of polychrome brick. Pavilion: Outer single-storey, 2-window ranges, now 2-storey, with single tall storey and sloped roof between. Outer bays have two 2-light windows with trefoils to heads and continuous hoodmoulds; range at right has 3 similar windows. To rear a brick band with 8 small windows above. Gymnasium: 2-storey, 7-bay centre flanked by projecting 2-stage towers with broach spires; further extensions with outer lean-tos interrupted by projecting gabled breaks. Centre section has 2 levels of pointed-arched windows with plate tracery and polychromatic voussoirs linked by polychromatic impost band. Balcony and rostrum with quatrefoil motif. Similar windows to ground floor of extension and gabled ranges, with oculus to gable, otherwise decorative brickwork to upper stage. Centre and ends have polychromatic eaves treatment, with frieze, dentil cornice and cogged eaves. Towers have band and patterned brick work to lower stage, then pair of lancets with polychrome voussoirs impost band; clock and pairs of 2-light belfry openings to each side, polychrome voussoirs and impost band, decoratively treated eaves. Entrances: off-centre and to base of tower: arched openings with plank doors and pointed overlights, some blind. Front to Thirlestaine Road blank apart from 7 arched windows at first-floor level.

INTERIOR: not inspected. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: railings and gates between have alternate fleurs-de-lys and spearhead bars. Verey describes this as 'very nice'. Abuts Railings to Cheltenham College Playing Fields, Sandford Road, and College Lawn (qv). HISTORICAL NOTE: the planning of gymnasia had been refined by the army's Physical Training Corps in the 1850s and subsequently sport became an integral part of the Victorian public school movement. This is a very impressive example of its type. (The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 135).



Listing NGR: SO9497621350

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
476124
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970), 135

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Cheltenham College Gymnasium, Pavilion, Five Courts and Attached Railings

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 07-Jun-2026 at 05:03:19.

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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