Details
CORSHAM POUND PILL
ST 87 70
5/333 The Hunger ford Almshouses
GV I
Almshouses, Warden's House and free school, 1668, built for Lady
Margaret Hungerford of Corsham Court. Rubble stone and stone tiled
roofs, two and a half storeys, 'L'-plan with main front to west,
Warden's House to left and schoolroom to right, and almshouse range
running east, facing north to Lacock Road. West range has hipped
roof with central timber cupola and leaded cap. Ornate projecting
gabled centre with moulded coping, apex oval light and elaborate
first floor carved Hungerford arms in pilastered frame with open
segmental pediment, further arms over pediment, crests over
pediment angles, inscription panel below framed by pedestals to
pilasters with lion masks. Moulded elliptical-arched doorway with
carved spandrels in Ionic columned surround with entablature,
broken forward over columns, and rosettes in pulvinated frieze.
Stone seats within and framed plank double doors in moulded
elliptical-arched surround with carved spandrels. Keyed ovals to
ground floor sides, 3-light first floor mullion windows with arched
heads to centre lights and hoodmoulds over. Recessed chamfered
mullions and leaded lights here and elsewhere. To right, large
schoolroom with attic over, 2 dormer gables with 3-light mullion
windows and hoodmoulds. Two large leaded elliptical-arched 2-light
windows below with arched heads to lights. South end has similar
ground floor window and similar dormer gable above, rear wall has
large central outside stack with diagonal shafts, 2 dormer gables
and 2 large elliptical-arched single-light ground floor windows.
Warden's House, to left, has one dormer gable with 3-light window
and hoodmould, dripcourses over ground and first floors, on first
floor stepped over early C18 twelve-pane sash in raised moulded
surround and continued over 2-light mullion window in angle to
porch. Ground floor dripcourse stepped over similar early C18 sash
and continued to right over two 2-light windows. North side has
range of 7 coped gables, each with 2-light windows, one gable to
Warden's House, 6 to 6 almshouses. Continuous stepped dripmoulds
to first and ground floors. Almshouses have regular front, slight
variation in end wall of Warden's House, with first floor and
ground floor C18 twelve-pane sashes as on west front, dripmoulds
stepped over and single light to left on first floor, 2-light to
ground floor left. Almshouses have even range of 6 first floor 3-
light windows interrupted at centre for elaborate armorial
decoration, smaller version of that on west porch. Ground floor
windows and doors in thrice repeated arrangement of 3-light, paired
doors with 2-light between and 3-light, dripcourse stepped over
paired doors. Oak plank doors. Over central carved arms, between
gables, is ashlar stepped parapet. Rear of almshouse range has 6
chimney gables with diagonal shafts, 3 groups of three 2-light
first floor windows with hoodmoulds, ground floor stone-tiled lean
to with timber posts and 6 rear doors with two 2-light windows
between each of first five, one 2-light each side of sixth. Oak
plank doors. Lean-to returns slightly at rear of Warden's House.
which has chimney gable to right, first floor arched single light
to left over oak plank door to cross-passage in moulded elliptical-
arched surround.
Interiors have remarkable complete fittings of 1668, notably in the
schoolroom with carved fronted gallery at north end, canted-fronted
master's dais at south end, 2 ranges of panelled school benches
down west wall and half of east wall, square enclosures of benches
each side of dais and unusual assistant master's seat integrated
into front of dais wth front legs, seat and arms projecting. Fine
moulded stone fireplace. Plain plastered 10-panel ceiling. Cross-
passage to north with Warden's House beyond. Stair Hall with fine
carved woodwork, fretted arches over south door and foot of stair.
Dog-leg stair with finials and pendants to newels, closed strings,
carved balusters and heavy moulded rail. Tudor-arched fireplaces
to rear of stair hall, first floor rear and one attic room. North-
west corner rooms altered in early C18. Almshouse range interiors
not inspected but continuous attic loft of some 14 bays with tie-
beam-and-collar trusses, original curved tension braces surviving
only to last 2 collars.
(Country Life, 83 44).
Listing NGR: ST8734170176
