Royal Agricultural College

Royal Agricultural College

An agricultural college built in 1846, designed by S W Daukes and Hamilton and constructed by Thomas Bridges of Cirencester. The complex comprises a large range of buildings in Tudor style arranged around a rear quadrangle, incorporating a former farmhouse and barn.

The main front elevation facing Tetbury Road is two storeys and attic with a five-storey central tower, spanning eleven windows. The first floor features ten three-light chamfered stone mullion-and-transom windows with four-centred arched heads to each light, fitted with 19th-century iron casements and hoodmoulds with diagonal stops. The ground floor has ten two-light chamfered stone mullion windows with four-centred arched heads to each light and 19th-century iron casements with hoodmoulds. Ten gabled full dormers contain three-light chamfered stone mullion windows with four-centred arched headed lights and 19th-century iron casements, each with carved shield decoration above and decorative finials at the apex. The building is constructed of coursed squared limestone rubble with stone slate roofs and coped verges. A deep plinth with chamfered offset and moulded stone top runs along the base, with a moulded string above the ground floor. Relieving arches span the ground and first floor windows. Twelve downpipes with castellated iron hopper heads are positioned across the facade, with flush quoins at the angles.

The central tower has a two-storey canted oriel window at first and second floor levels with five-light chamfered stone mullion-and-transom windows with four-centred arched heads and 19th-century iron casements, set on a moulded stone base with a brattished stone hood. The third floor contains two two-light windows flanking a recessed clock set in an ashlar panel, whilst the fourth floor has one three-light window three lights high. Angle buttresses with offsets define the tower, with moulded strings above the ground and second floors continuing around the base and head of the oriel. A cill band runs across the third floor windows with a moulded string above. A moulded string decorated with carved bosses and cow and sheep gargoyles runs beneath the embattled parapet. Relieving arches span the third, fourth and fifth floor windows, with flush quoins at the angles. An ashlar stair turret adjoins the rear left angle.

Set back slightly from the main elevation to the east, a two-storey and attic range of two windows in similar style forms a link with the former farmhouse. The farmhouse, dating to the 17th century with 19th-century alterations, is two storeys and attic with five windows in the first floor range. Five two-light chamfered stone mullion-and-transom windows with four-centred arched heads to the upper lights occupy the first floor, fitted with 19th-century iron casements and projecting stone cills. The ground floor contains five similar windows, with two to the centre cut down to form French doors and a small single-light window in a chamfered stone surround to the right. Two gabled dormers contain two-light iron casements. A chamfered stone plinth and moulded string above the ground floor run across the farmhouse, with flush quoins at the angles.

A kitchen range adjoins the right and rear of the farmhouse, two storeys to front and single storey and attic behind, grouped informally in matching style. The left (west) elevation of the main range adopts similar styling with two gables, each topped with a two-storey canted bay window with an embattled parapet. A similar bay window with embattled parapet crowns a single-storey central projection. A later range attached at the north-west angle is two storeys and attic spanning six windows, featuring two two-storey bay windows with embattled parapets in the same style. The rear (north) range is single storey and attic, grouped informally and incorporating a former barn which has been externally refaced with windows inserted to match the mid-19th-century work.

Groups of ashlar flues with moulded tops project from the ridges and ends of the stone slate roofs.

The interior has been partially inspected. A stone imperial staircase rises from ground to second floor within the tower. The ground floor front room features a boarded ceiling with chamfered cross beams bearing carved bosses, supported on traceried iron brackets set on stone corbels carved with agricultural symbols. Painted honours boards decorate the upper walls. The first floor room above contains a five-bay ceiling of chamfered beams with timber brackets, further subdivided by secondary cross beams. The former barn retains an exposed seven-bay roof structure comprising three raised base cruck trusses, three later braced collar trusses, and three tiers of trenched purlins, showing evidence of repairs and alterations. The interior of the former farmhouse, not inspected, is said to retain 17th-century panelling and stop-chamfered beams.