The Chantry And Little Chantry

The Chantry and Little Chantry are a group of buildings of immense townscape value, forming a focal point at the west end of Church Street. The core of the building dates to 1546-48 and was built by Thomas Horton de Iford, although visible evidence of this date is limited to portions of the north elevation. The west elevation is 17th century in origin and constructed of ashlar, with a stone-tiled roof, and features three storeys and seven windows. A moulded cornice and plain parapet top the facade, which is divided into three sections, with the central section projecting slightly and featuring plain and moulded strings at sill and window head levels. The central section is three windows wide; the second-floor windows are casements with glazing bars, while the first-floor centre window has a semi-circular head with a keystone, flanked by blocked windows in plain reveals. The ground floor has a single window on either side of the door, with a fixed-light window in plain reveals; the central doorway is topped by a square head, a stone surround with Tuscan half-columns, an entablature, and a segmental pediment. The side units each have two windows per floor; the second-floor windows are two-light casements with stone mullions and architrave surrounds; the first floor has two-light windows, similarly surrounded with stone mullions and a flat cornice; and the ground-floor windows are similar but without a transom. A later extension to the right-hand unit now obscures ground-floor windows and one first-floor window. A small, paved sunken forecourt with steps leads up to the drive, and the steps were originally flanked by stone urns with pineapples (now removed). Wrought-iron gates mark the entrance to the drive.

The south elevation, dating to the 18th century, is constructed of ashlar and has three storeys and a basement, with seven windows featuring double-hung sashes and glazing bars. An angled bay rises through all storeys on the left side of the frontage, featuring one window on each face. The elevation is topped by a moulded cornice and a plain parapet, except over the bay, which has balusters. Moulded strings run at both the first and second-floor levels of the bay. Windows along the main frontage have architrave surrounds and flat cornices. A doorway with a cambered head, a surround, a keystone, and a flat wooden hood on wrought-iron brackets is located to the right. A two-storey wing extension on the extreme right has its upper floor set back on a balustered balcony; the ground floor has two tall, semi-circular-headed sash windows with glazing bars, architrave surrounds, keystones, and imposts.

The east elevation is from the 18th century, with two storeys, five windows, sashes with glazing bars, architrave surrounds, and moulded sills. A moulded string runs at first-floor level, and the moulded cornice sits on consoles, with a central pediment featuring an oval panel with a rose motif in the tympanum. The north elevation is asymmetrical, retaining some original 16th-century features. It has been significantly altered over time.

The Chantry and Little Chantry, together with No. 7, Nos. 9 to 19 (consec), form a group with all the listed buildings in Church Street, along with the Catholic Church of St Thomas More on Market Street, Nos. 5 and 6 and 27 to 31 (consec), and the wall at Builders Yard, Newtown.