The Athenaeum is a Grade II listed building in the Wiltshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 31 March 1978. Cultural institution. 1 related planning application.

The Athenaeum

WRENN ID
old-jade-marsh
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Wiltshire
Constituency
South West Wiltshire MP: Dr Andrew Murrison (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
31 March 1978
Type
Cultural institution
Address
The Athenaeum, High Street, Warminster, BA12 9AE
OS grid reference
ST 873 451
Coordinates
51.20538, -2.18231
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Athenaeum, built in 1856 by local architect W.J. Stent, is a 2 and a half storey building designed in the Jacobean style. It is constructed of ashlar stone and features a slate roof. The front elevation has three gables, including a central shaped and pointed gable adorned with scrollwork and topped with a pinnacle, flanked by two shaped gables, all three gables featuring keyed occuli. The building has a three-bay front with a slight break in the outer bays, which have cornices. The central bay includes a two-storey angled bay with a pierced balcony above the cornice. On the first floor, there are mullion and transom windows, with two lights in the outer bays and five in the central bay. The ground floor features Ionic doorpieces in the outer bays, with scrollwork above panelled friezes and cornices. The round-headed doorways, approached by steps, have head keys and glazed overlights, with Ionic pilasters resting on panelled bases. The central bay has been altered to serve as the main entrance, which includes a projecting canopy. There is an angled return to the Close with three bays and a further six-bay continuation after an angle, dating from around 1900.

Local climate

The Athenaeum receives an average of 850 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 60% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 63% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 35 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 55% of listed buildings. Of these, 15 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

Sign in or create a free account to unlock:

  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • Related listed building consents — 1 application
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Create free account

Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.

Similar buildings

The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.

Nearby listed buildings

  1. 24 and 26, High Street Grade II 23 m
  2. 28, High Street Grade II 28 m
  3. 10 and 12, High Street Grade II 30 m
  4. 30, High Street Grade II 34 m
  5. 6 AND 8, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information) Grade II 37 m
  6. 32, High Street Grade II 37 m
  7. The Chantry Grade II* 42 m
  8. 4, High Street Grade II 44 m
  9. 2, High Street Grade II 50 m
  10. 37, High Street Grade II 55 m