Pirton Grange

PIRTON SHILLINGTON ROAD TL 13 SW (South side) Apsley End

1/177 Pirton Grange 9.6.52

GV II*

Large house. C15 with S crosswing, C16 S kitchen block, C16 or early C17 N crosswing with internal chimney, early C17 short W extension to S kitchen block with 5-sided bay window to room over. Circa 1690 hall roof raised about one metre, 3 tall sash windows inserted, centre of front remodelled with modillioned cornice and doorhood, imposing stair built in W end of S wing and bolection panelling installed. A vaulted brick cellar added to W of old S kitchen inscribed 'JH 1724'. Extensive renovations when house let c.1879 and given present appearance. Timber frame with plastered panels and painted boards fixed on top of many timbers. Frame exposed with red brick infill at S end. Steep old red tile roofs with decorative cresting to ridges. Tall square chimneys with corbelled tops. A large 2-storeys and attics moated house facing E approached by a gatehouse over moat (q.v.), of courtyard of service buildings to W only bakehouse and adjoining dairy remain (q.v.). E front has taller 3-windows wide hall range flanked by projecting gabled crosswings. Entrance in angle with N wing in line with large internal chimney. Hipped dormer on roofslope, 3 tall flush-box sash windows to 1st floor with 12/12 small panes and thick ovolo glazing bays. 2 2-lights leaded casement windows to ground floor and elaborate hollow arched plaster hood to entrance with a fan of swords and carved scrolled brackets. Modillioned eaves cornice to centre. One casement window to each floor of N wing, and 2 to each floor of S crosswing. This has a kitchen block of equal height extending to S with a large 2-storeys ovolo-moulded 5-sided bay on the E side under a gabled tiled roof. Large chimney to this kitchen and to N side of N wing. S crosswing has several original couples and mortice in E gable for collar-purlin. Resited smoke-blackened rafters in hall roof. Clasped-purlin roof to N crosswing. Axial floor beams indicate that neither crosswing was jettied. Recent restoration has uncovered the original leaded glazing in the side lights of the 5-sided bay window. Of c.1690 work bolection moulded panelling to hall, chamber over, and chamber over S part. Fine staircase with closed string barley-sugar twisted balusters, square newels, moulded handrail, and striking balustrade to landing. Stair lit by a C17 cross-window. 2-panels bolection moulded doors and plaster cornices. Bold bolection moulded architraves to doors. Painted black letter inscription in chimneypiece of large upper room, c.1590-1610, with later bolection moulded panelling and fireplace. Other fireplaces early C19. (RCHM (1911)162-3: VCH (1912)45: Pevsner (1977)271: RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL1226832932