The Matron's College is a Grade I listed building in the Wiltshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 28 February 1952. A 1594 College. 3 related planning applications.
The Matron's College
- WRENN ID
- white-courtyard-heron
- Grade
- I
- Local Planning Authority
- Wiltshire
- Constituency
- Salisbury MP: John Glen (Con)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 28 February 1952
- Type
- College
- Address
- The Matron's College, 39-46, the Close, Salisbury, SP1 2EL
- OS grid reference
- SU 142 297
- Coordinates
- 51.0665, -1.79758
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Matron's College, established by Seth Ward in 1682 and likely designed by Sir Christopher Wren, is a Grade I listed building located in The Close. This two-storey structure is built of red brick on a projecting plinth with a moulded capping. It features a first-floor string course and a bold, moulded cornice. The hipped roof is covered with old tiles.
The building has a symmetrical design with projecting stone quoined wings on either side, each containing two-light casements and a circular central attic dormer supported by scroll brackets and topped with a ball finial. The main block's centre is adorned with a pediment that has a cornice extending over it, displaying the Royal Coat of Arms and fruit swags in the tympanum. Above the pediment is an octagonal glazed lantern with a lead roof.
On the first floor, there are twelve two-light casements, while the ground floor has ten, all featuring stone surrounds and mullions. Secondary doors are framed in architrave surrounds, with a frieze and cornice at the corners, and a central door also in an architrave surround. This door has a projecting wooden hood with a segmental pediment and a panelled soffit supported by double scroll-carved brackets. All doors are early 19th century with six fielded panels. Above the central door is a stone panel with an inscription in a moulded frame, flanked by small carved scrolls and swag ornamentation, supporting a small bracketed cornice that rests on stone corbelling.
The rear elevation features five gables, and the chimney stacks are set diagonally and grouped. The listed buildings in The Close create an outstanding group.
Local climate
The Matron's College receives an average of 790 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 58% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 60% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 30 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 63% of listed buildings. Of these, 13 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
- Related listed building consents — 3 applications
- 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
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
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