The Georgian Boathouse is a Grade II* listed building in the Wiltshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 6 January 1966. Boathouse.
The Georgian Boathouse
- WRENN ID
- distant-copper-sorrel
- Grade
- II*
- Local Planning Authority
- Wiltshire
- Constituency
- Salisbury MP: John Glen (Con)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 6 January 1966
- Type
- Boathouse
- Address
- The Georgian Boathouse, Fonthill Bishop
- OS grid reference
- ST 934 326
- Coordinates
- 51.09344, -2.09533
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Georgian Boathouse is a boathouse or water temple built in the mid-18th century. It is constructed from limestone ashlar and features a vaulted roof that is covered in earth. The building has a plan that resembles an aisled basilica, complete with transepts and an apsidal west end. The wet dock serves as the 'nave' with three bays and a 'crossing', while the walkways function as the 'aisles', although these are currently submerged. The only entrance is from the lake and is partly collapsed, featuring three semi-circular arches supported by square piers with foliage-carved capitals.
Inside, the structure has a barrel-vaulted 'nave' and 'aisles' on square piers with vermiculated capitals and pilasters. Each bay includes a semi-circular niche in the wall. The 'crossing' contains an oval wet dock with a domed ceiling, and the aisles extend around the curved walls. The apsed west end has a partly collapsed wall that reveals some rustic stonework. This boathouse is likely part of Alderman William Beckford's building and landscape projects in Fonthill Park between 1740 and 1755, and it is associated with Fonthill Splendens.
Local climate
The Georgian Boathouse receives an average of 830 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 54% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 59% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 36 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 64% of listed buildings. Of these, 16 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
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- 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
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