The Folly

CHIPPENHAM

ST9074SE BRISTOL ROAD 930-1/2/7 Nos.23 AND 33 22/06/78 The Folly (Formerly Listed as: BRISTOL ROAD Nos.23 AND 33)

GV II

House. Dated 1693, with C18 and early C19 rear wings. Painted C20 incised render over limestone rubble, freestone dressings and quoins, hipped stone slate roof with 2 small hipped dormers, brick stacks to the rear wall and the gable ends of the rear wings. 2-unit plan with 2 rear wings. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys with attic and cellar; symmetrical 3-window range. Stone-mullioned windows with C20 casements, 2-light above the door, 3-lights to the rest; those flanking the door have cyma-moulded architraves, others have ovolo mouldings. The returns have similar windows, blocked with soft red brick to the left return. The C17 moulded architrave to the door has worn stops and "A R A 1693" above it, a C18 6-panel door glazed to the top and a C20 gabled porch. The rear wings are C18 with early C19 extensions. The rear left wing is No.33; it has C20 casements to plain stone-mullioned windows, C20 door and rear extension. INTERIOR: stone-flagged hall with C20 stairs to the rear; the room to the left has a chamfered cross-beam and a 6-panel door. The room to the right has a planked door with wrought-iron strap hinges; a stone-flagged floor; an open fire with a timber lintel and cavity to the left, a possible former smoking chamber, which extended to the floor above and the cellar below; a chamfered cross-beam and a C18 architrave to the door to the rear right leading to the rear service wing. This has a slate floor and a brick surround to an open fire. To the left of the stairs a planked door and stone steps lead down to the cellar under the left-hand room. The cellar is almost Tudor-arched barrel-vaulted, with a stone floor and working well to the front right which has a lead overflow pipe below floor level. 3-bay roof with tenoned purlins. The rear left wing (No.33) has a small door to the rear left leading down to the cellar and one chamfered beam and a C19 brick open fire with a metal support to the segmental arch. The 3-bay roof has morticed purlins. HISTORY: the house named The Folly was mentioned in a will of AR Aland in 1791 when it was part of the Hardenhuish estate. The Alands were wealthy clothiers in the C17 and early C18. The Reverend Francis Kilvert (1841-1879) of diary fame, is known to have lived here; his father was Rector of Hardenhuish from 1838-1847. (Chamberlain, Joseph A: Chippenham: Chippenham: 1976-: 174).

Listing NGR: ST9078874092