The Hungerford Almshouses

The Hungerford Almshouses, Corsham

Almshouses, Warden's House and free school built in 1668 by Lady Margaret Hungerford of Corsham Court. The complex is constructed of rubble stone with stone tiled roofs and rises to two and a half storeys, arranged in an 'L'-plan. The main front faces west, with the Warden's House to the left, the schoolroom to the right, and the almshouse range extending east and facing north onto Lacock Road.

The west range is topped by a hipped roof with a central timber cupola and leaded cap. The focal point is an ornate projecting gabled centre with moulded coping and an oval light at the apex. Below this is an elaborate first floor carved Hungerford arms in a pilastered frame with an open segmental pediment. Further arms appear over the pediment, with crests at the pediment angles and an inscription panel below, framed by pedestals to the pilasters bearing lion masks.

The principal doorway features a moulded elliptical-arched entrance with carved spandrels, set within an Ionic columned surround with entablature broken forward over the columns. The frieze displays rosettes in a pulvinated pattern. Stone seats are positioned within, and framed plank double doors sit in a moulded elliptical-arched surround with carved spandrels. Keyed ovals ornament the ground floor sides, while 3-light first floor mullion windows with arched heads to the centre lights and hoodmoulds above complete the composition. Recessed chamfered mullions and leaded lights appear throughout.

To the right, the large schoolroom with attic space is lit by two dormer gables containing 3-light mullion windows with hoodmoulds. Below are two large leaded elliptical-arched 2-light windows with arched heads to the lights. The south end has a similar ground floor window and matching dormer gable above. The rear wall features a large central outside stack with diagonal shafts, two dormer gables, and two large elliptical-arched single-light ground floor windows.

The Warden's House to the left has one dormer gable with a 3-light window and hoodmould. Dripcourses run over the ground and first floors, stepped at an early 18th-century twelve-pane sash in a raised moulded surround on the first floor and continued over a 2-light mullion window in the angle to the porch. The ground floor dripcourse is similarly stepped over an early 18th-century sash and continues to the right over two 2-light windows.

The north side displays a range of seven coped gables, each fitted with 2-light windows—one gable for the Warden's House and six for the almshouses. Continuous stepped dripmoulds run along both first and ground floor levels. The almshouses present a regular front with slight variation at the end wall of the Warden's House. First floor and ground floor early 18th-century twelve-pane sashes match those on the west front, with dripmoulds stepped over them. A single light appears to the left on the first floor, and a 2-light to the left on the ground floor.

The almshouses display an even range of six first floor 3-light windows interrupted at the centre by elaborate armorial decoration—a smaller version of the west porch carving. Ground floor windows and doors follow a thrice-repeated arrangement: 3-light, paired doors with a 2-light between, and 3-light, with the dripcourse stepped over the paired doors. All doors are of oak plank. Above the central carved arms and between gables runs an ashlar stepped parapet.

The rear of the almshouse range features six chimney gables with diagonal shafts. Three groups of three 2-light first floor windows with hoodmoulds light this elevation. The ground floor has a stone-tiled lean-to with timber posts and six rear oak plank doors, with two 2-light windows between each of the first five doors and one 2-light window on each side of the sixth. The lean-to returns slightly at the rear of the Warden's House, which has a chimney gable to the right and a first floor arched single light to the left over an oak plank door leading to a cross-passage in a moulded elliptical-arched surround.

The interiors retain remarkable complete fittings from 1668. The schoolroom features a carved-fronted gallery at the north end and a canted-fronted master's dais at the south. Two ranges of panelled school benches line the west wall and half of the east wall, with square bench enclosures flanking the dais. An unusual assistant master's seat is integrated into the front of the dais, with projecting front legs, seat and arms. A fine moulded stone fireplace and a plain plastered 10-panel ceiling complete the space. A cross-passage to the north leads to the Warden's House beyond.

The Stair Hall contains fine carved woodwork with fretted arches over the south door and the foot of the stair. A dog-leg stair features finials and pendants to the newels, closed strings, carved balusters and a heavy moulded rail. Tudor-arched fireplaces appear to the rear of the stair hall, on the first floor rear, and in one attic room. North-west corner rooms were altered in the early 18th century. The almshouse range interiors were not inspected, but the continuous attic loft spanning some fourteen bays contains tie-beam-and-collar trusses with original curved tension braces surviving only on the last two collars.