Hardenhuish House (Chippenham Grammar School)

CHIPPENHAM

ST97SW HARDENHUISH LANE 930-1/1/41 Hardenhuish House (Chippenham 22/06/78 Grammar School)

II*

Manor house, now a school. Late C18, with c1829 alterations including a portico by Sir John Soane. Limestone ashlar with slate roofs hipped to the front, gabled to the rear of rear wings; moulded ashlar stacks to the rear and ridges of wings. STYLE: Palladian, portico in Classical style. PLAN: double-depth central stair-hall plan with rear wings and later wings to the left. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys; symmetrical 5-bay front with pedimented 3-bay centre stepped forward; a table, perhaps for an urn, surmounts a pediment over a modillion cornice, platband and sill band to the 1st floor. Moulded architraves to the upper floor windows; 3/6-pane sashes to the 2nd floor, 3 pedimented 6/6-pane sashes to the 1st floor centre, flanked by 6/6-pane sashes with floating cornices. Steps up to a semicircular prostyle portico of 4 Ionic columns supporting an entablature with a dentilled cornice, flanked by 6/6-pane sash windows with chamfered architraves. Both returns have full-height splayed bays with windows similar to the front. A mid C19 service block to the left has a hipped roof to a splayed front with 6/6-pane sash windows flanked by 4/4-pane sashes; the left return is roughcast with freestone dressings to the windows and a moulded eaves cornice. The service block is connected to the main house by a mid/late C19 dining room which has 3 large 6/6-pane sash windows. The splayed rear right return was formerly covered by a conservatory (probably 1829), it has full-height 9/9-pane sash windows; to the rear right corner are 2 octagonal rooms with hipped lead roofs, that to the rear with a ball finial. A block to the rear has a hipped roof with a lantern. INTERIOR: the entrance hall has a C18 modillion cornice and oak floor boards. A C19 semicircular arch leads to the rear stair hall housing a C19 open-string dogleg staircase with turned balusters rising to the top floor. The curtail step is double-wreathed. C19 double entrance doors with margin panes, 4-panel doors to the upper floors, 6-panel to the ground floor. The ground-floor room to the left retains a modillion cornice but has a high C19 skirting board. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Cherry B: Wiltshire: London: 264).

Listing NGR: ST9122274542