Wellington College, Main blocks and front walls
Wellington College, Main blocks and front walls, Dukes Ride, Crowthorne, RG45 7PU
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1390356
- Date first listed:
- 20-Dec-1972
- List Entry Name:
- Wellington College, Main blocks and front walls
- Statutory Address:
- Wellington College, Main blocks and front walls, Dukes Ride, Crowthorne, RG45 7PU
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1390356
- Date first listed:
- 20-Dec-1972
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 14-Feb-2002
- List Entry Name:
- Wellington College, Main blocks and front walls
- Statutory Address 1:
- Wellington College, Main blocks and front walls, Dukes Ride, Crowthorne, RG45 7PU
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:
- Wellington College, Main blocks and front walls, Dukes Ride, Crowthorne, RG45 7PU
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Bracknell Forest (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Crowthorne
- National Grid Reference:
- SU 83175 63408
Details
SU86SW
674-1/17/150
CROWTHORNE
DUKES RIDE (south side)
Wellington College, Main blocks and front walls
[Formerly Listed as: SANDHURST ROAD (West side), Wellington College (Main blocks)]
20/12/72
GV
II*
College. 1856-9 by John Shaw in the French Renaissance style, based on Wren's work at Hampton Court. Extended late C19.
MATERIALS: Red and purple brick in Flemish bond with Box stone (Bath Stone) dressings. High pitched, slate mansard roofs.
PLAN: formal plan of two square cloistered courtyards one behind the other with Old Hall block dividing, and with wings at the north and south angles. Chapel (qv) adjoins on the south-east corner, extensions to east and west.
EXTERIOR: two storeys and attics, part two storeys, mezzanine and attics, part single storey. East and west ranges are higher than north and south ranges. Several very tall chimneys with corniced heads. Projecting moulded plinth, string courses, bold modillion eaves cornice. Pedimented dormers. Sash windows with glazing bars. Entrance (north) front symmetrical, two storeys and attics. Centre section of eight-bays, four on either side of two storey central feature containing carriageway, framed by giant Ionic order with cornice, pediment with decorated typanum and carved sprandrels. Eight dormers. Windows on both floors have segmental heads with keystones and drip moulds.
Central clock tower with serpentine pediment, cornice and bell turret with ogee cupola and weathervane. On either side of the centre section are three-bay ends of the side wings, with recessed, round-arched first floor centre windows, flanked by niches with bronze military statues by Theed. Side wings are two storeys, mezzanine and attics, stretching back to south, with 32-bays, with centrally placed towers of six storeys, with high, rounded mansard roofs, turrets and urn finials. Front walls adjoining side wings on entrance front on each side, red brick in Flemish bond. Stone plinth, cornice and coping, buttresses with stone dressings surmounted with ball finials, urns at ends. Wall on left of ten bays with single bay return to main block. In sixth bay is gate with stone semicircular head, pilasters with moulded head and base, cornice and pediment with cartouche in typanum. Pair of large panelled gates with metal twisted balusters, smaller panelled door in fourth bay. Wall on right is similar but of seven and a half bays with gate in fifth bay.
South front similar to north front but with centre section (Old Hall) of one storey with oculus windows in clerestory and round-headed roof dormers. On either side of ends of side wings there are four-bay cloisters linking two pavilions, former infirmary on west, and former chapel on east. Both are of single bay with central two-light round-headed window and circular light over, slightly recessed in opening with segmental head and keystone. Great School (cross wing between courtyards) single storey. Symmetrical. North has 11-bay windows, with cloisters which return on both ends to side wings of main blocks and north side of front section. Large, central round-arched entrance with cornice, pediment and engaged columns. Clerestory of oculus windows, small round-headed roof dormers.
INTERIOR: semicircular pedimented entrance. Painted wall panelling with moulded cornice. Exposed queen post roof trusses braced to upper purlins and with struts to principal rafters. Egg and dart mouldings to collars, upper purlins and wallplates. Drop, moulded finials below each queen post. Stone fireplace at west end.
Old Hall similar to Great School, but with C20 wooden panelling with pilasters of the Ionic order and dentilled cornice. Hexagonal lantern in centre of roof.
HISTORY: College was erected by public subscription as school for orphans of officers. Prince Albert took very close interest in building and selected one of subjects for military scupltures by Theed.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 489339
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
The Victoria History of the County of Berkshire: Volume III, (), 207
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Berkshire, (1966), 260-262
The Builder, (12 December 1930), 85-87
The Builder in The Builder, (1850)
Websites
British Geological Survey, Strategic Stone Study, accessed 04/02/2020 from https://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/buildingStones/StrategicStoneStudy/EH_atlases.html
Other
Country Life: December 18th 1915: 829
Country Life: June 18th 1959
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 12-Jun-2026 at 21:35:47.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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