Description

1. CHURCH STREET
1852 (South West Side)

No 27 (The Abbey)
(Junior School)
TM 2748 3/65 25.1.51.
TM 2648 2/65

II*

2.
C16, built on the site of the Priory of the Austin Canons of Woodbridge,
which was suppressed in 1537 and leased to Sir Anthony Wingfield in 1538.
At his death it passed to Sir John and Dorothy Wingfield in 1547. In
1564 it was sold by the Crown to Thomas Seckford, subject to the life
interest of Dorothy Wingfield, after which it passed to the sole owner-
ship of Thomas Seckford. The date on the Seckford coat of arms over the
south porch is 1564, but this may have marked the latter event, and the
buildings have been erected between 1547 and 1564. The Abbey remained
in the Seckford family until 1673. During the Commonwealth it was
occupied by John Hope, Colonel of the Horse in the army which besieged
Colchester. In 1673 it passed to E North and in 1771 to Thomas Carthew
and after several other ownerships it has returned to a collateral branch
of the Carthew family. Very extensive alterations and additions have been
made from time to time mainly in period reproduction with the addition of
sundry pin acles and other embellishments to the old work. The building
is 2 storey with gabled dormers. The main feature of the old work is the
3 storey porch and room over. The gables have brick pediments and as with
other brick moulding and mullions etc are stucco finished. The Porch has
triple superimposed orders, over a semi-circular arched doorway, the ground
floor Doric with fluted pilasters and panelled pedestals, moulded brick
entablature, and above on the 1st and 2nd floors, plain brick pilasters,
crowned by brick pediment in gable. There are 4 original gabled dormers.
A moulded brick band stucco faced of the early work remains, and there
are 3 modern bays along the south front. A portion of the original building
shows on the north front and indications of 2 gabled wings now filled in
between the modern additions. The original staircase remains. The south
porch door is of C18 but a contemporary door is fitted to the frame and
fanlight as also in the modern porch, but both may have been acquired from
elsewthere. A brick moulded 4-centre arch leads to the cellar on the south
front.

Listing NGR: TM2709449046

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17546231

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version