Description

LACOCK BEWLEY LANE
ST 96 NW
3/5 Bewley Court
20.12.60
I

Manor House, C14 to early C15, restored and extended c1920 by Sir
H.Brakspear. Rubble stone with ashlar dressings and stone slate
roofs. Two storeys, L-plan with C14 hall range, built out on
south front in early C15, east end cross wing, apparently early C15
but possibly on C14 core, the north end added 1920 together with
built-out ranges flanking the rear court. Hall range has coped
west gable and west stack, rebuilt 1920, the west wall formerly
timber-framed. The south front contains unusual enclosed stair
from original upper end of hall to chamber over porch.
Battlemented near-symmetrical front with centre 2-light cross
window, buttresses each side and south west angle buttress. Porch
projects to right, flush with cross wing gable. Battlemented with
south west angle buttress, cusped 2-light upper window and broad
Tudor-arched entry in moulded surround with raised piers and
brattished cornice. Moulded Tudor arched inner doorway, studded
plank doors. Cross wing has coped gable and stone oriel with
Perpendicular style lights, supported on a buttress between single
lights. The oriel is a reconstruction of 1920. South east angle
buttress. East front is apparently C15 but with 2-window range of
3-light flush mullion windows of C18 type flanking a fine corbelled
side-wall stack with circular shaft, dated by Brakspear to the C14.
Buttresses each side of stack and small ground floor windows each
side of supporting pier. A ridge stack marks former end wall.
Two-window range beyond with ridge and end stacks is of c1920, but
with re-used chamfered recessed mullion windows. Single storey
range across north end. Rear court has built-out fronts of c1920
in C15 and C17 style, reusing old stonework.
Interior: outstanding 3-bay great hall with raised 2-tier cruck
trusses on carved brattished corbels. Brattished wall-plate and
carved roundels on curved windbraces. The hall was originally of
2-bays with 2-storey west end and timber-framed partition, so that
the fine moulded archways in present centre of side walls were
originally at dais end of hall. In original hall, unusual
recessed wall panels, the horizontal upper mouldings linked to the
corbels of the centre truss. C20 north wall fireplace. At west
end, in former 2-storey section, a resited Tudor-arched fireplace.
At east end, a C20 stone screen, based on fragmentary evidence.
Screens passage has coved cornice, 2 fine moulded doorways to cross
wing and moulded north end doorway. South east room is largely
reconstructed, north east room, former kitchen, has large Tudor-
arched fireplace and some C17 incised panelled doors each side.
From hall centre, south side arch gives on to foot of stairs,
moulded stair arch to left, moulded doorway to right into chapel,
reconstructed 1920. Stairway has moulded intermediate arch to
take thrust from hall truss and moulded upper doorway with original
door. Wind-braced roof over porch. Cross wing has fine wind-
braced roof, exposed in south room. Moulded stone arch to oriel.
Resited c1700 fireplace. Other resited fireplaces in north wing.
House belonged to Collard family in C13 and to T. Calstone c1400.
An inventory of T. Calstone, P.R.O. E 154/1/31, of 1417 suggests
that already the house had its present plan. In C16 owned by
Sharington family of Lacock. H. Brakspear surveyed the house and
gives plans and photographs prior to his restoration for Col.R.
Cooper in Wilts Arch. Mag, 37 1912, 391-9.
(Wiltshire Buildings Record; M. Wood, The English Medieval House,
1965) - -

Listing NGR: ST9263068509

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530060

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.

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