Description

CHIPPENHAM

ST9273SW MARKET PLACE 930-1/10/110 (East side) 25/04/50 Nos.38 AND 39 and attached wall

GV II

Inn, now offices. Refronting and remodelling, dated 1680, of early C16 house; altered C18 and C19, restored 1992-3. Limestone ashlar, stone slate roof with ashlar stacks to gable ends and right of centre. Range to front of central-entry 3-room plan; rear wings including early C18 stair turret to right. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys; symmetrical 3-window range. Original windows had cavetto-moulded stone mullions, 2 of 2-lights to the centre flanked by 4-light splayed full-height bays. These, with C20 glazing, survive on the 2nd floor. The 1st floor has a C19 plate-glass sash window to the centre and similar paired windows to the lower floors of the right-hand bay; the bay to the left has restored paired 6/6-pane sashes to the 1st floor and an early C20 shop window below. The central C18 stone doorcase has Ionic pilasters supporting a mid entablature and pediment; a C18 8-panel door glazed to the top, with raised and fielded panels below. To the left of it an early C19 6-panel door with a 4-pane overlight has been inserted. The facade is spanned by a balustraded parapet and modillion cornice (restored) which follows the contour of splayed bays and is returned to the left, and moulded string courses between floors. Rear recently restored, includes large early C19 bay window and a C18 stair turret with thick Gothick-pattern glazing bars. C18 former rear door, now inside a C20 lean-to, has 6 panels and a large timber lock. INTERIOR: No.38 has a stone moulded and stopped Tudor arch to the rear right corner which formerly led to the cellar and the remains of a quartered C16 ceiling which retains some moulding to the beams and some foliate carving to the cross, the position of the central boss is plain. Mid C18 dentilled cornicing to entrance passage. The range to the rear has early C19 features including an open-string, open-well staircase with stick balusters. To the ground-floor front of No.39 is a heavily chamfered cross-beam and early C18 raised and fielded panelling with boxed cornice and an early C19 white marble fireplace with cast-iron grate. The room to the rear has a massive heavily chamfered cross-beam and a large chimney-breast with a small C18 stone fireplace. To the rear right is an early C19 open-well open-string staircase with turned newels. C17 collar-truss roof. Chimney-piece with flanking pilasters and bolection-moulded overmantel, noted in 1978 description, not seen and probably removed in 1992 building work. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the yard of No.39 is enclosed by a Flemish bond red brick wall approx 20m long and 3m high with stone coping. At the end is a blocked freestone architrave to a former door, possibly to a service block. HISTORY: formerly The Bell Inn, mentioned in the Tropenel cartulary of 1320, in 1672 it belonged to Adam Farnewell alias Goldney. By 1727 the premises had been divided into 2, in 1750 it ceased to be an inn. An interesting survival of an important late medieval town house, remodelled as a fine late C17 town house with an early centralised plan and symmetrical facade. (Chamberlain, Joseph A: Chippenham: Chippenham: 1976-: 128).



Listing NGR: ST9221673240

External Links

• Wikidata Q26558392

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Recommended Books

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)