Cole Park

ST 98 NW 5/148

ST PAUL MALMESBURY WITHOUT GRANGE LANE (east side) Cole Park

12.12.51

GV II* Former medieval monastic deer-park, royal Tudor stud-farm and latterly country seat of the Audley, Harvey and Lovell families, now country house. Moated site of monastic lodge; earliest extant work of the mid C16 (Robert Bolton resident in 1555), 1625 refenestration during Sir George Marshall's ownership, c1700 alterations including the insertion of a new staircase for John Harvey, substantial additions in 1775-6 (dated on south-east gabled wing) for John and Sarah Lovell, repairs in 1796 for Peter Lovell and additions and thorough internal refurbishment in 1981 (dated above oriel on east front) by William Bertram. Tudor and Georgian brickwork with stone dressings, ashlar to north front of C18 block, ashlar C18 stacks and brick Tudor stacks, Cornish slates to C18 block, stone slates to remaining ranges. Irregular T-shaped plan with long north-south Tudor range and C18 block set at right-angles to the west. North front with recessed 2-storey, 4-bay Tudor range to left and 2-storey, 5-bay C18 block to right. Windows to C16 range are early C17 stone cross-mullions, those to C18 block are 12-pane sashes set in moulded architraves with flat projecting cornices to the ground floor. First and second floor string courses to C16 range with blocking course to parapet; central engaged Doric porch with metope frieze to C18 block: part-glazed door. First floor reeded string course, bracketted cornice and parapet with blind balustraded sections either side of central incised panel; 3 hipped dormers. West front of brick and stone dressings with 2-storey canted bays to each end. South front with gabled end of C18 block to left, Tudor range to right and 2 gabled C18 wings to south-east end. Single, 2-light and cross-mullion fenestration to C16 range with tall gabled stair turret to the left and 3 tall paired stacks set on the diagonal and with lateral flues to the right. Interior. Oak circular newel stair to south turret, c1700 grand staircase with ramped handrail, turned and graded balusters and massive oak treads and bolection moulded fireplace to ground floor entrance hall. (Aubrey & Jackson, Wiltshire Collections, 1862; June Badeni, Wiltshire Forefathers, 1906; Country Life, 23 April 1964; N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, 1975)

Listing NGR: ST9404985271