Description

BUILDWAS C.P. WENLOCK ROAD
SJ 60 SW
(west side)
5/20 Abbey House with attached
5-bay arcade, incorporating
dovecote
GV I
Abbot's lodgings and infirmary, later farmhouse and small country house,
now private club house. C13 and C14, re-modelled in C16/C17 with considerable
additions and alterations of second half of C19. Coursed limestone rubble
with ashlar dressings; plain tile roofs with stone ridge and end stacks.
Earliest part is to west comprising a first-floor hall aligned north-south
over a vaulted undercroft; at right-angles to west on south is the late
C14 parlour wing and to the east a 5-bay range considerably altered
c.1850; further C19 additions in a medieval style in north-east angle
with service ranges added to parlour wing. 2 storeys and attics; first-
floor hall: has three C19 paired lancets and one single lancet to first
floor with a slightly pointed moulded doorway to right; ground floor has
round-headed arch (late C12/early C13) with jamb shafts to right of centre
and the blocking of another larger arch to right; C19 segmental brick
arch to centre and one C16 and one C15 window to left; doorway to far
left has a carved tympanum which may be re-set; left gable end timber
framed to apex, C19 lancets and blocked openings below; right gable end
has one original paired lancet with cusped trefoil opening above and a
single lancet to east; an arcade of 4 cusped lancets linked by continuous
hoodmould (partly destroyed by C20 fenestration) is continued into first
bay of 5-bay range projecting to east: the pointed arcade of this is now
blocked and has C20 casements in stone surrounds to first floor surmounted
by C19 trefoil and quatrefoil openings, prominent early C20 canted bay
window to left on ground floor; doorway to centre with blocked lancet
and narrow trefoil-headed doorway to right, gable end has a prominent C19
oriel; to north the C19 additions include a twin-gabled range with a
rectangular tower behind and a lean-to projection forming entrance
passage-way; parlour wing: has blocked doorway to left and 2 segmental
openings to centre, one with foliated boss, further blocked doorway to
right; 3-light late C19 leaded casements with segmental heads and gabled
dormer in roof slope to left; gable end has coped verges supported on
moulded corbels to corners and an arrangement of statue niches to centre,
the principal one of which rests on a carved stone head; below is a
hatched opening and on the ground floor a wide C19 segmental arch with
C20 folding glass doors. Attached to north-west corner of house is an
early C13 arcade of 5 pointed arches on short circular piers aligned
east-west: the 2 western arches are now blocked and a gabled brick
dovecote (probably C16 or C17) protrudes between third and fourth bays
from east; this is of pinkish brown brick on a coursed limestone plinth,
the top heightened in C19 red brick and with a plain tile roof; round-
headed doorway on its south side (possibly monastic in origin) is now
incorporated in a mid-C19 stone lean-to (not of special architectural
interest). The arcade probably formed part of the north range of the
infirmary court to Buildwas Abbey (q.v.). Interior: considerably
altered in C19 and C20; first-floor hall has a pointed doorway with
dogtooth ornament at south end and decorated corbels formerly supporting
roof structure; round-headed arch with jamb shafts at east end of 5-
bay projection (possibly re-set) has a recessed doorway with shouldered
arch; on the ground floor of this range is a fine late C16 plaster
ceiling similar to that at Belswardyne Hall (q.v. under Cressage C.P.)
and the plaster work at Old Hall, Hughley (q.v. under Hughley C.P.);
parlour-wing has arch-braced collar beam roof in 7 short bays with
cusped windbraces; roof of first-floor hall now C16 or later, but
the tie beams of an earlier roof have been reversed and re-used in
its construction. A detailed inspection of the interior was not
possible at the time of re-survey (1985) and the building merits
fuller study and interpretation; q.v. under Buildwas Abbey. B.o.E.,
p.90; V.C.H. II (1973), p.58; The Builder, Vol.79 (1900), Pp.292-4;
H.M.S.O. Guide to Buildwas Abbey (2nd edn. 1978).

Listing NGR: SJ6436804356

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529742

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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