St Peter's Grange with Gateways and Courtyard Walls to East and West, Upton St. Leonards, Gloucestershire

Description

SO 81 SE UPTON ST LEONARDS PRINKNASH PARK

6/207 St. Peter's Grange with gateways
and courtyard walls to east and
10.1.55 west (previously listed as
Prinknash Park Abbey and Chapel)

Large country house, now monastic retreat. Mid-late C15; enlarged
early C16; additions of early C17, late C18, c1870, c1880 and 1954.
Late C19 restorations and additions by J. Coates-Carter and F.S.
Waller for Thomas Dyer Edwardes. Coursed and squared limestone;
ashlar chimneys; stone slate roof. Central range with long cross-
wings to north and south; long south east wing; chapel at north
east corner; 2 storey with attic; cellar under north wing. West
front: central range with 2 roll-moulded parapet gables topped by
finials; all fenestration leaded except for sashes and some later
alterations. Central 2-storey early C17 porch with Tudor-arched
doorway; 3-light pointed-arched mullioned casement over;
crenellated parapet. Left of porch C18 round-arched sash with
keyed moulded architrave; upper floor sash over. Right
fenestration is pointed-arched mullioned casements; two 2-light to
ground floor with two 3-light above; both gables have 3-light attic
casement, all having hoodmoulds. Diagonal shafts with moulded caps
to 2 ridge-mounted chimneys. C15 wing projects to right with upper
floor off-centre canted oriel having trefoil-headed lights;
projecting base of oriel pierced by 2-light ground floor casement;
later 2-light square headed casement to right. Cl9 pierced and
carved bargeboards to gable end of wing with 3-light ground floor
casement and 2 tall C19 pointed-arched 2-light casements above;
small area of close-studded timber framing in gable apex. C18 wing
projects to left with cross-gabled roof; C19 ground floor canted
bay window with hipped roof having pointed-arched lights with
enriched spandrels; left projecting gable-mounted chimney with
diagonal shaft and moulded cap. West gable end has Cl9 2 + 2-light
upper floor pointed-arched mullioned casement; original attic 3-
light; most fenestration in this wing altered from sashes in late
C19. Attached C20 flat-roofed long west wing is not of special
interest. Courtyard walls to west project from wings; mostly with
roll-moulded coping, but with large semi-circular cut-outs and ball
finials to south west corner; rectangular gate piers of c1900 with
chamfered corners and enriched finials; iron gates with overthrow
carrying central coat of arms. North side: 3 parapet gables, C18
to right, 2 early C16 to left. Large central Cl9 2-storey canted
bay window by Waller with trefoil-lancet panelled crenellated
parapet; moulded string course below with stiff-leaf enrichment at
corners; pointed-arched mullioned casements to both floors. Bay
flanked by Cl9 offset buttresses; further C19 buttress below gable
to left with 4-light fenestration to left and 3-light to right to
both floors; right. of bay C19 doorway and C18 sash over with
moulded architraves; other fenestration to right is late Cl9 three-
light mullioned casements replacing sashes; gable to right with
paired diagonal chimneys. East front: central range with 2 roll-
moulded parapet gables topped by finials, right gable projecting
forward with scattered 2- and 3-light pointed-arched mullioned
fenestration and hoodmoulds; upper floor octagonal oriel in angle
with projecting north wing has single lancet to each face and
pyramidal top. Late C19 canted dormer in south slope of roof.
Left gable has three 2-light pointed-arched mullioned casements to
left of 3-centred arched moulded doorway with hoodmould and shields
in spandrels, plank door; two 3-light casements to upper floor; 3-
light to attic. South wing projects well forward to left, is early
C16, extended late C19; 3-light round-arched mullioned casements to
early part; c19 Tudor-arched doorway with 4-panel door has stone
relief portrait of Henry VIII over; addition of c1870 has off-
centre cross-gable roof with parapet gabled roof dormer to left;
canted stone oriel to east gable end of south wing. Projecting
gabled north wing with C19 restored 2 + 2-light pointed-arched
mullioned fenestration on south side; paired diagonal chimneys to
gable end; wing extended to east with late C19 chapel having ridge-
mounted central bellcote with shingles to spirelet; east octagonal
apse with single cinquefoil lancet to each face in pointed hoods;
lancet panelled parapet; gabled south transept; north transept
added in 1954. Stone gateway to east courtyard with hipped roof.
South side: built into bank with Cl9 latrine addition to gable end;
fenestration mostly C19 alteration.
Interior much altered in late Cl9 but Tudor-arched doorways
retained in C16 part. Main staircase and panelling of 1898 by
Coates-Carter; upper floor window on staircase has C17 graffito
portrait of Cavalier. Oriel in upper floor room of south west wing
has late C15 fan vaulting with pendants. In main hall a ceiling
boss of c1502 and C16 stone flags to floor. Chapel apse by Coates-
Carter has stained glass and decoration by Hardman; reredos
contains C15 figure of Christ; chapel nave has C16 stained glass in
north windows representing the Nine Choirs of Angels. Roof
structure is mostly late C18 and C19. Originally a hunting lodge
of c1300 for Abbot of Gloucester; most of core of present building
is Abbot Parker's enlargement of c1514. House known to have been
occupied in 1643 by Cavalier forces. Major alterations for Thomas
Dyer Edwardes in late C19. Given to Benedictines of Caldey in
1928. Set on hillside under Cranham beech woods commanding view
over city of Gloucester. Spring building in park (q.v.). (J. &
H.S. Storer, Delineations of Gloucestershire, 1825-7; D.
Verey, Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979; and ed. D. Verey,
Diary of a Cotswold Parson, 1978).

Listing NGR: SO8783713239

External Links

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