Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1468460
- Date first listed:
- 12-Mar-2003
- List Entry Name:
- Orwell House
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1468460
- Date first listed:
- 12-Mar-2003
- List Entry Name:
- Orwell House
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
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Chippenham
- National Grid Reference:
- ST9183373559
Details
ST91847356 CHIPPENHAM NEW ROAD
930-1/0/10013 Nos. 54-55
Orwell House
GV II
House, now used as shop. Circa late C18 or early C19; extended circa 1847 by Rowland Brotherhood; extended as shop C20. Limestone rubble with dressed quoins and ashlar front. Slate roofs; front range with stone coped gable ends, parapet and cornice; rear wing hipped and with deep eaves. Ashlar gable-end stacks.
Plan: 3-bay late C18/early C19 front range with single bay extensions at either end and wing to rear right [NW] added in 1847. In the C20 projecting shops [not of special interest] were built across the front of the ground floor and extended at the rear covering the back garden.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attic. Symmetrical 1:3:1 bay east front, the centre three bays with moulded stone cornice and parapet, raised at centre over round-headed window and 16-pane sashes to left and right; flanking bays with parapets, flat roofs and mullion windows; across the whole front a large projecting C20 shop. Rear west, the single storey shop covers former back garden; 3-window rear elevation of front range; 1847 wing to left [N] has 3-bay south elevation, with string course, moulded stone window architraves to sashes with margin panes; the ground floor windows with cornices to the architraves and with round-headed statue niche between.
INTERIOR: Front range: ground floor much altered and used as shop; stairs to attic with stick balusters, column newels and mahogany handrail; fireplace in north gable-end of attic with simple chimneypiece and basket grate. 1847 rear wing has lofty dining room on ground floor with moulded plaster modillion ceiling cornice, central rose with acanthus leafs, marble chimneypiece and panelled window shutters; stairhall with fine plaster segmental vault on small putti brackets and scagliola pilasters and floor with patterned encaustic tiles; staircase with decorative cast-iron balustrade, a moulded mahogany handrail and a moulded plaster ceiling cornice to stair well; chamber over dining room has moulded plaster ceiling cornice, marble chimneypiece and panelled window shutters.
NOTE: From 1842 Orwell House was the home of Rowland Brotherhood, I.K. Brunel's principal contractor for the Great Western Railway. In 1847 Brotherhood added the dining room wing and it is reported that Brunel stayed with Brotherhood at Orwell House when he was conducting railway business in the area.
Sources
Books and journals
Robertson, M, The Railway Heritage of Chippenham, (1998)
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 09-Jun-2026 at 21:47:06.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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