Chichele College, South And East Ranges And Atttached Foundations

Chichele College, South and East Ranges and Attached Foundations

Former college, founded circa 1422. The building is constructed of regular coursed and squared coursed limestone with a Collyweston slate roof. Originally designed as a quadrangle, the south and parts of the north, east and west ranges survive. The structure stands 2 storeys tall, with the east range and gable of the south range abutting the road forming a 3-window range at first floor level. This includes a 2-light window with cusping and hollow reveals to the left gable, with a crocketted hood mould above. The right side features 2- and 3-light square-head windows, also with hood moulds.

At ground floor level, there is a single-light square-head window to the centre with a small single-light window to the left. The right range originally served as the gatehouse and contains a gateway with a 4-centred head, roll moulding, and quatrefoils with shields in the spandrels. The hood moulds feature quatrefoil decoration to the label stops. Above the gateway are 3 canopied niches re-decorated with crocketted pinnacles. Two blocked openings occupy the centre and right sections. A chamfered string course runs between the floors. Carved heads on either side of the gable window are probably reset gargoyles. The gable features ashlar parapets.

The elevation of the south range to the left of the road frontage forms a 3-window range, including a large 15th-century 2-light square-head window to the right of centre. A leaded casement window occupies the first floor far right under a wood lintel, with further casements to the ground and first floor left, also under wood lintels. A gabled porch at the far left bears a datestone marked D/1914/L, and a rebuilt lateral stack to the centre also carries a datestone dated 1914. The range features an ashlar gable parapet and a stone stack at the end.

The elevation of the south range facing the quadrangle contains a 2-window range to the right, with a 15th-century 2-light square-head window to the first floor far right and two similar single-light windows to the ground floor below, all with cusping and hood moulds. Casement windows under wood lintels occupy the ground and first floor to the right of centre. A 15th-century doorway to the right of centre has a 2-centred arch head, roll moulding, decorated spandrels and a hood mould. The gable to the left features early 20th-century 3-light stone mullion windows to the ground and first floor, with the ground floor example including a transom. The rear wall of the gatehouse, attached to the far left of the quadrangle elevation of the south range, forms the internal elevation of the features described for the gatehouse fronting the road.

Attached foundations originally formed part of the north, east and west ranges. The interior of the south range was not inspected, but contains a full-height chamber known as the chapel at the east end and ground floor rooms to the west end with ceiling beams. Part of the first floor oversails into the chapel.

The college was founded by Archbishop Henry Chichele and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Thomas of Canterbury, and St. Edward the Confessor. It provided accommodation for 8 secular canons, 8 clerks and 6 choristers before its dissolution in 1542. The south and east ranges form a group with the Chichele College north range and attached foundations, the Chichele College group of foundations, and the Chichele College perimeter wall gateway and attached foundations. The entire Chichele College is scheduled as an ancient monument and is under the guardianship of Historic England.