Bilton Grange School and Attached Chapel and Terrace, Dunchurch, Warwickshire

Description

DUNCHURCH RUGBY ROAD
SP47SE (East side)
2/30 Bilton Grange School and
02/08/84 attached chapel and terrace
(Formerly listed as Bilton
Grange School)
- II*
Country house, now a school. 1841-1846 by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin for Captain J. Washington Hibbert, incorporating a small, probably late C18 house. Considerable late C19 and C20 additions and alterations for the school. Flemish bond brick with limestone dressings and moulded string courses. Tile roofs, some with ridge cresting, have moulded stone coped gable parapets with finials; brick external, internal and ridge stacks with shaped and moulded shafts have limestone
dressings. Complex courtyard plan. Tudor Gothic style. 2 storeys and attic.
Entrance front is a 4-window range with wing of 1891 and chapel of 1889 at right
angles on left and right respectively. 3-storey porte cochere tower has diagonal
buttresses and alternating quoins. Wide moulded arches. Entrance has 5-light
window with Tudor-arched double-leaf plank doors and carved spandrels. Chamfered
and moulded mullioned windows, mainly with Tudor-arched lights, transoms and
hood moulds, throughout. First floor has 2-light canted oriel with shield panel.
Second floor has stone clock in square panel dated MDCCCXLVI, with frieze and
cornice. Flanking small single lights. Pyramidal decorative slate roof has
traceried open lantern with pyramid cap. Left range has ground floor 4-light
window with large king mullion and lozenge stops. Single lights on right. Right
range has external stack with shaft removed. One and 2-light windows. First
floor throughout the Pugin building has the initials of Captain Hibbert and his
wife and crosses in blue brick. 2-light roof dormer. Plain 3-storey tower set
back on right has 3-light window to second floor. Late C20 parapet. Irregular
one-window left wing of 1891. One storey, basement and attic. Buttresses.
Altered basement openings. Cross windows. First floor has 4-light window.
Irregular 3-window right return side has porch with part-glazed double-leaf
doors. Right wing has gabled hall range in angle. 2 full-height 2-light windows
have 2 transoms and continuous hood mould. Chapel beyond. Shaped tile roof.
Nave, apsidal chancel, shallow transepts, and east turret. Gothic Revival style.
3-bay nave, 2-bay chancel. The ritual east end is actually north-east. Apse has
5 lancets with geometrical tracery. 2 bands of terracotta ornament. Moulded
limestone sill course throughout. Ornamented stone cornice. Brick and terracotta
parapet has blind tracery. Shallow south transept has small east lancet, and
3-light south window with plate tracery and hood mould. Ornamental stone coped
gable. Square turret projects slightly. Plank door has double-chamfered
straight-headed Tudor arch with sill course farming hood mould. Frieze of 4
traceried stone panels with carved shield reliefs of the Holy Spirit etc.
Octagonal upper stage. Alternating long and short traceried straight-headed
openings. Moulded stone cap and finial. Nave has gabled portal between 2
gableted buttresses. Heavily moulded stone segmental-pointed arch. Two 3-light
windows have tracery and transom. North transept has 3 stepped lancets to east.
High one-storey-and-attic, late C19 irregular range to right. Bay with 3-light
Perpendicular window and moulded parapet. Cross window and 2 large polygonal
bays with single light between. Roof dormer has 2-light mullioned window.
South-east front has wing at right angles on right. Main range has four 2-storey
3-light canted bays with castellated parapets. Large gabled dormers have 2-light
mullioned windows. Left return side of wing has, to left, a single light and
2-light mullioned window above, and to right a large 4-light window with king
mullion and 3-light window above, The range stands on an attached L-plan terrace
of diapered brick and stone. Elaborate balustrade with pierced inscription in
Gothic script recording the date of building. Piers carved with heraldic
shields. Steps on left. Right wing has low link to 1891 addition of canted bay
with loggia below. 1891 range has 2 large canted bays of similar design to main
front. First floor has Tudor arch sashes. Date in blue brick. Gables with
internal stack between. South-west front has cross gable and canted bay on
right. Large 6-light window with central plank door in moulded Tudor-arch.
3-light window above. Single lights to left. Large 3-storey late C19 canted bay
on left has wood cross windows with stone lintels, 2-light windows above, and
3-light windows to second floor. Pyramidal roof. Two 2-light roof dormers. Lower
late C18/early C19 range to left has later alterations. 3 storeys; 3 bays.
Central 3-storey canted bay has wooden casements. Large windows in altered
openings to left. 16-pane sashes to right. Second floor has four 12-pane sashes.
Kitchen wing to north-west has massive external stack with 4 offsets. Outer
courtyard has long, late C19 one-storey-and-attic range. Gabled roof. dormers
have bargeboards. 2-light latticed windows. Good Pugin interiors. Entrance hall
has carved arched fireplace with hood and gilded inscription. Heraldic encaustic
tile floor. Long gallery, library and other rooms have panelled plaster ceilings
with moulded wood ribs, linenfold panelling and Gothic wood doorcases and
architraves. Gallery has gilt and decorated cornice. 2 fine carved and moulded
Gothic fireplaces, one with large plastered hood. Moulded stone Tudor-arched
doorcases. Heraldic glass. Library has gilded and carved ceiling bosses.
Elaborate carved fireplace with wood panelled upper part-has painted panels of
St. Hubert and the Hibbert arms and painted panelled cove. Another room has
similar fireplace with traceried instead of painted panels. Great Hall has
Gothic arched brace roof. Gallery on carved octagonal shafts. Panelling.
Inglenook has elaborate carved stone fireplace with half shafts and family
crest. Encaustic tiles. Heraldic glass. Several fireplaces have original fire
dogs and baskets with dogs holding scrolls. Open well staircase has linenfold
panelled balustrade and brass rail, and newel posts with heraldic beasts holding
scrolls. Gothic painted panelled ceiling with moulded ribs. Chapel has braced
collar roof with arched braces marking chancel and sanctuary. Apse has inner
lancets with black granite detached shafts. Radiating rafters. Brick segmental
pointed arches to transepts. Chancel and sanctuary have mosaic floors. Fittings:
late C19 carved pulpit and reading desk, stalls and pews. Early C20
Perpendicular style memorial panels lining walls. Stained glass: late C19.
Captain Hibbert was Pugin's most difficult client. The C20 additions are not of
special architectural interest.
(Buildings of England: Warwickshire, pp.94-95; Phoebe Stanton: Pugin, p.176;
Mark Girouard: The Victorian Country House, pp.175-176). _

Listing NGR: SP4923271759

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