Description

PAINSWICK WICK STREET
SO 80 NE
(west side)
5/356 Brownshill Court
21.10.55
II*
Large country house, now several apartments. Mostly c.1777 for William
Caruthers, but the west front is probably early to mid C18. Fine limestone
ashlar with stone slate roofs, but Welsh slate to small link units. A grand
Palladian composition with pedimented corps-de-logis linked to pedimented
pavilions by straight wings. Main (east) front is 3 storeys, 5 bays, all
glazing bar sashes, but central Venetian window at piano nobile, and lofty
arched-head lights flanking doorway which has C20 glazed door in an Ionic
pedimented portico. Plinth, sill band, rusticated quoins, modillion cornice and
blocking course, four giant Corinthian pilasters. Hipped roof with 4 ashlar
stacks with moulded cappings and smaller stacks to pavilions. Fully rusticated
end pavilions are linked to main block by straight wings with Doric pilasters;
pavilions one bay l½ storeys with oculus in decorative surround above pair of
C20 glazed doors with 3 heavy key-stones. In the wings a central arched doorway
is flanked by arched casements; left-hand door is studded plank. There is an
extra bay to the extreme right. The back is in 3 storeys and basement but with
6 bays, all early C18 twelve-pane sashes in Gibbs surrounds to small key-stone
and with butt-nosed sills; central ground floor may originally have been a door-
way. To the basement are 5 elliptical-arched openings to 3 key-stones, and with
iron bars. Interior: late C18 oak stair in central hall, swept handrails, 3
slender turned balusters to each tread; climbs in long flight to cross landing
then divides left and right to top 2 floors. Glazed circular roof-light towards
back of block. At ground floor a triple pillared opening with central ellipse,
carrying the cross landing. There are many good fielded panel doors, and most
windows have shutters. Various simple cross or transverse beams. First floor
back rooms have C18 fire surrounds, one of these eared and moulded with high
gabled overmantel with cherub in relief; at the opposite end is a more complex
surround with moulded mantel but without overmantel; rich pierced cable mould
and egg-and-dart enrichments. There are changes of level suggesting that back
and front have been stitched together; at the time of survey the attic floor was
unoccupied. The wing to the left has plain, heavy, close-set C19 beams.

Listing NGR: SO8561107289

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17538015

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

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)