The Sham Ruin

The Sham Ruin is a folly ruin built around 1797 by John Nash. It features Gothic stonework, some of which may be medieval and some likely from the mid-18th century Gothick style of the Bath House, which was altered by Nash. The structure incorporates elements from another demolished garden building.

The main wall is made of high serpentine rubble stone with applied ashlar features on the north and south sides. It has three prominent skyline features: an oval ashlar stack with a rubble backing to the south, a rectangular bellcote with a pointed main arch flanked by panelled piers and smaller pointed arches, topped with a truncated short spirelet, and another oval ashlar stack with its upper half pierced by plain roundels.

The east end of the main structure has a clustered Norman-style column, resembling a respond from an arcade, with several stones from a moulded arch above. The north side consists of massive rough squared blocks featuring two tiers of tall Gothick lancets with cusped heads and polygonal shafts, divided by raised blocks. This is followed by a canted ashlar stair tower with lancet stair openings and stone capping. At mid-level, there is an ogee-headed opening with a hoodmould, similar to the surviving side entries of the Bath House loggia. Another clustered Norman-style respond is present, along with an upper level two-light Gothick window with cusped heads and a trefoil, resembling the surviving first-floor centre light of the Bath House. At the right end, there is a large three-light window with intersecting tracery and a hood.

On the south side, facing Church Street, the wall is made of rubble stone and features a central Perpendicular-style two-light upper window. Lower down, to the left, there is a long two-light Gothick window with cusped heads and a trefoil, similar to the window on the north side.