Description

ST 77 SW COLD ASHTON C.P. HAMSWELL

8/12 Hamswell House
17.9.52
G.V. II*

House. C16 origin, remodelled C17 and early C18, rear facade remodelled late
C18, with alterations and additions c. 1930 by Harold Brakspear in same style.
Limestone, rendered at front, limestone ashlar, freestone dressings, slate mansard
roof with 2 centrally placed stacks. Square plan with central entrance hall and
staircase to rear; enfilade evident at first floor although passages at outer
sides of stacks now closed; Palladian style, Renaissance porch. 2½ storeys,
5 windows, ground floor has 2 sashes in moulded architraves, 2 outer cross windows
with ovolo moulded mullions and transoms in moulded architraves with leaded
lights; central 2-storey porch broken forward has double door with bolection-
moulded surround and keystone, Tuscan column to each side on panelled plinth,
cornice, diamond and circle frieze, upper cornice, broken segmental pediment, in
tympanum a shield, c. 1608, with Whittington and Blanchard arms quartered, flanked
by winged female figures; to each side of door and shield, a tall, round-headed
shell niche with architrave decorated with balls; bay window above with central
round-headed window in moulded architrave with scrolled keystone, small lights
above, paired lights to sides, and lights at sides to angles, all with leaded
lights; modillion cornice continued across whole facade, parapet and coping.
First floor has 4 ovolo-moulded cross windows with leaded lights, 2 to left blocked
from behind, one to right blocked and painted in, 3 dormers, each with sash except
central dormer with 2-light casement; string course above ground floor windows,
exposed quoins, parapet and coping continuous around porch. South east elevation
has 5 windows, all sashes in bolection-moulded architraves, with floating cornice
to ground floor windows, central French window with shell hood on brackets carved
with acanthus leaves and beasts, in same architrave, 2 basement windows in same
surround, blocked to right, 2 dormers, with sash to left and 2-light casement to
right; plinth, modillion cornice, parapet and coping. North west elevation,
formerly symmetrical, with 5 windows, first floor sashes in bolection moulded
architraves, 3 to right blocked, ground floor similar sash with floating cornice
to left, single storey addition c. 1930 has two 18-pane sashes and door of
6 panels with overlight, cornice, parapet and coping; inside the addition,
3 similar ground floor windows, now blocked, and central door in same architrave
with round head, keystone and flanking pilasters; main block has modillion
cornice, parapet, coping, 3 dormers, each with sash. Side of rear wing has
2 windows, one sash and two 2-light casements with leaded lights. Rear has
2 canted bays through 2 storeys, each with 3 sashes with eared cills at each
storey, except ground floor left blocked for access to rear wing, central round-
headed opening has C20 door with glazed upper section with Gothic intersecting
glazing bars, band course carried round head of opening, first floor has central
round-headed sash with Gothic intersecting glazing bars in upper section; plinth,
modillion cornice, parapet and coping, tripartite hipped roof has 4 dormers,
3 with sashes, 2nd from right with single light casement. Original detached
single storey C17 kitchen block to rear, enlarged and attached to house c.1930,
2 storeys and 3 windows, all 2- and 3-light casements with moulded mullions and
leaded lights, oriel to first floor right with cornice, parapet and coping,
cornice, parapet and coping overall; north west elevation of rear wing has
rubble wall remaining from C17 block, with one 3-light casement, partially blocked,
with original casement window with leaded lights and iron stanchions.
Interior: entrance hall open to front left room, black and cream stone floor,
panelled with modillion cornice, panelled shutters to windows, arcade of 2 round-
headed arches on columns with keystones in wood, stone fireplace dated 1664 has
moulded Tudor arch, foliate frieze, Corinthian column to each side, lower and
upper cornice each with keystone, broken segmental pediment with urn in tympanum,
scrolled at base and top. Passage to south east has carved wooden shell niche,
of similar design to south east door. Wide open-well stair to rear has splat
balusters with rusticated arches between each, grip handrail, moulded newel tops,
close carved string and ball pendants; small newel stair to north west rising to
attic level; plain stone winder to cellar. First floor landing has 4 doors,
2 to rear rooms and 2 to cupboards, all in bolection moulded architraves, all of
6 panels with L-shaped hinges. First floor rear rooms have friezes and cornices
with egg and dart mouldings, room to south east has stone bolection moulded
fireplace, central front room divided in two c.1930. Kitchen block originally
2-room plan with central large stack, basket arch of fireplace visible, door with
draw bar running from deep recess in wall, vaulted recess to left of stack.
Hamswell was one of 3 manors in the parish of Cold Ashton, granted to the priors
of Bath by Athelstan, 921 AD (grant in library of Corpus Christi College,
Cambridge). Bought by Sir Walter Denys, 1535, leased by Robert Whittington 1546,
bought by William Pepwall, merchant of Bristol, 1564, bought by William Whittington,
1622. (Sources: Verey, D.: Buildings of England Gloucestershire : The
Cotswolds. 1970).

Listing NGR: ST7319271498

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17556851

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

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide