Britannia House (Alice Otley School)

Details

WORCESTER

SO8455NE UPPER TYTHING
620-1/8/653 (East side)
22/05/54 Britannia House (Alice
Otley School)
(Formerly Listed as:
THE TYTHING
(West side)
Britannia House (Alice
Otley School))

GV II*

Large house, became school in 1883 and continues as such.
1730-50 with later additions and alterations. Reputed to be
designed by Thomas White, a local stone carver also associated
with the Guildhall (qv). Red brick with stone dressings.
Partially concealed hipped roof with plain clay tiles.
Double-depth, central hall plan with later range to rear.
Symmetrical facade divided into 3 unequal bays by pair of
chamfered rusticated pilasters. Quoins and pilasters are
full-height interrupted by moulded cornice. Pair of recessed
rectangular panels to parapet of each flanking wing; segmental
arched pediment to centre bay with carving of Britannia;
moulded coping over all. 2 storeys. 5 (2:1:2) first-floor
windows. Stone detailing includes quoin strips and pilasters;
cornice and coping to parapet; plinth capping; entrance steps;
surround to door and window above; keystones, sills and aprons
to all windows; bas-relief carving to typanum. Centre
first-floor window is 12/12 sash, moulded sill and architrave
with putto keystone; carved drops to sides, carved apron. The
remaining windows are 9/9, under gauged brick segmental arches
with incised keystones, moulded sills and scalloped aprons.
All the windows are in near-flush frames with arched heads. 2
roll-edged, semi-circular steps to door of 8 raised and
fielded panels; fluted pilasters to doorcase surmounted by
segmental-arched cornice; foliate frieze with putti, further
putto at door-head.
INTERIOR: retains original features including plasterwork and
joinery: Open-well mahogany staircase with carved decoration
to tread ends; 3 balusters per tread, rod between barley
twist, all on carved vase and square knops; columnar newel;
shaped and ramped handrail. Raised and fielded panelled dado
to staircase; black and white diamond-pattern marble floor to
hall.
Ground-floor rooms to left and right of staircase have 2
levels of panelling with dado between; inserted Victorian
marble fireplaces; modillion cornices. Timber screen to
kitchen is c1895 reputed to be made up of balustrading from
the former attic stairs and pieces of furniture. Landing
retains some panelling; modillion cornice.
First-floor: room to right has similar panelling to
ground-floor with dado and shutters. Similar panelled room to
left with marble fireplace concealed behind bookcase. Range to
rear has moulded cornices; ornamental neo-classical pine
fireplace with swags and masks. Raised and fielded 6-panel
doors throughout; most have panelled reveals; some have
L-hinges.
Adjoining to the left and forward of the C18 house is a larger
replica wing, opened in 1893. 2-storeys with 9 first-floor
windows, (3:3:3), it echoes all the architectural detailing of
the original with the exception of the carving of Britannia,
but the fenestration is 1/1 sashes. Of the same date are the
ranges to the rear which contained the main hall, art studio,
gymnasium, and science room. These retain many of their
original internal joinery and plasterwork details. There are
several late C19 fireplaces and panelled ceilings to some
rooms. The art room has a pseudo hammer beam roof and
panelling to the walls. The hall has exposed trusses with
arched spandrel braces.
NOTE: Britannia House ncorporates many of the features that
typify the finest Georgian buildings of Worcester. In
particular, comparisons should be drawn with the Guildhall
(qv), 15 College Green (qv), Berkeley's Hospital The Foregate
(qv), 6-9 Cornmarket (qv), and 2 The Cross (qv).
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Worcestershire:
Harmondsworth: 1968-1985: 334; Colvin H: A Biographical
Dictonary of British Architects 1600-1840: London: 1978-: 885;
Noake V: History of the Alice Ottley School Worcester:
Worcester and London: 1952-: 11-21).

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

489211

Legacy System:

LBS

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