Description

KINGTON ST MICHAEL THE PRIORY

ST 87 NE

7/137 Priory Manor (previously listed as Priory 20.12.60 Farmhouse)

II*

House, C15 to C17 incorporating part of a Benedictine nunnery founded in C12, rubble stone with stone slate roof and ashlar stacks. Two storeys and attic, basically L-plan, the main range being the former prioress's lodging and guest hall on the west side of the former cloister, and the south wing being half the former south side. Main west front has coped north gable, three ridge stacks and roof hipped at south west angle. Left bay has buttresses each side and cusped 2-light upper window over renewed cusped 4-light, both with hoodmoulds. The next two bays, with buttress beyond have large gable over and mullion-and-transom windows with hoodmoulds 2-light and 3-light above, 2-light and 4- light below, ovolo-moulded except for hollow-moulded first floor 2- light. To right, a large gabled stone slate roofed porch with depressed-arched moulded doorway. Gable,is rebuilt. To right a C15 cusped 2-light with hood with similar 2-light above. End bay has C20 timber mullion window each floor. A C17 drawing of the house shows two tall pointed windows, to great hall, in bays now gabled, buttresses, cusped lights and porch as existing. South range has two bays of C20 timber-mullion windows to left, one bay of 2-light mullion windows, hollow-moulded above, ovolo-moulded below with iron opening lights, then large outside chimney and, to right, one bay of single lights. Rear of south range has original 2-light ovolo-moulded first floor window over 3-light hollow- moulded window to left with blocked segmental arch over 3-light. Single light to right over 2-light, C20 single lights in angle. Main range rear has C20 enclosed gabled porch and two C20 two- lights each floor. At north end is L-plan lower range, projecting to east and with coped north gable and stack. West front has ground floor ovolo-moulded 2-light with hoodmould and first floor single light and very small cusped light. North side has C20 lean- to additions but one first floor C15 two-light with hooodmould is exposed. East end has low pointed chamfered doorway and moulded single light. South side has stair projection in angle to main range with roof carried down over and one quatrefoil light. Interior: roofs not generally visible but some cambered tie-beams and deep coved timber wall-plate exposed. In main range, north end room has Tudor-arched stone fireplace with ornate moulded shelf on console brackets, much renewed, room to south, in former hall has three deep chamfered beams and large stone chamfered Tudor-arched fireplace with shelf. C20 C17-style stair beyond and stone Tudor- arched west door. Room to south has small moulded Tudor-arched fireplace with shelf and Tudor-arched doorway to right. In south range main ground floor room has timber-lintel side-wall fireplace and four chamfered beams. C17 oak winding stair in angle to north range, but this range has earlier stone winding stair built into wall. Priory existed in 1155, a house for paupers was built 1221. There appears to have been a cloister with chapel on north side, the chapel still existing in the late C17 when John Aubrey drew the west front of the house. Sold to Taylor family 1556, to Tyndale family 1628 and to R. Sherwin 1677, the front gable and other alterations being probably for Sherwin. (Gentleman's Magazine 1803 717; Wilts. Arch. Mag. 4 1857 36ff; Wilts. Arch. Mag. 43 1925; J.E. Jackson ed The Topographical collections of John Aubrey 1862 p1.13; N. Pevsner Wiltshire 1975 282)

Listing NGR: ST8951277796

External Links

• Wikidata Q17534277

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Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2