Hamswell House Cold Ashton, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

ST 77 SW COLD ASHTON C.P. HAMSWELL

8/12 Hamswell House 17.9.52 G.V. II*

House. C16 origin, remodelled C17 and early C18, rear facade remodelled late C18, with alterations and additions c. 1930 by Harold Brakspear in same style. Limestone, rendered at front, limestone ashlar, freestone dressings, slate mansard roof with 2 centrally placed stacks. Square plan with central entrance hall and staircase to rear; enfilade evident at first floor although passages at outer sides of stacks now closed; Palladian style, Renaissance porch. 2½ storeys, 5 windows, ground floor has 2 sashes in moulded architraves, 2 outer cross windows with ovolo moulded mullions and transoms in moulded architraves with leaded lights; central 2-storey porch broken forward has double door with bolection- moulded surround and keystone, Tuscan column to each side on panelled plinth, cornice, diamond and circle frieze, upper cornice, broken segmental pediment, in tympanum a shield, c. 1608, with Whittington and Blanchard arms quartered, flanked by winged female figures; to each side of door and shield, a tall, round-headed shell niche with architrave decorated with balls; bay window above with central round-headed window in moulded architrave with scrolled keystone, small lights above, paired lights to sides, and lights at sides to angles, all with leaded lights; modillion cornice continued across whole facade, parapet and coping. First floor has 4 ovolo-moulded cross windows with leaded lights, 2 to left blocked from behind, one to right blocked and painted in, 3 dormers, each with sash except central dormer with 2-light casement; string course above ground floor windows, exposed quoins, parapet and coping continuous around porch. South east elevation has 5 windows, all sashes in bolection-moulded architraves, with floating cornice to ground floor windows, central French window with shell hood on brackets carved with acanthus leaves and beasts, in same architrave, 2 basement windows in same surround, blocked to right, 2 dormers, with sash to left and 2-light casement to right; plinth, modillion cornice, parapet and coping. North west elevation, formerly symmetrical, with 5 windows, first floor sashes in bolection moulded architraves, 3 to right blocked, ground floor similar sash with floating cornice to left, single storey addition c. 1930 has two 18-pane sashes and door of 6 panels with overlight, cornice, parapet and coping; inside the addition, 3 similar ground floor windows, now blocked, and central door in same architrave with round head, keystone and flanking pilasters; main block has modillion cornice, parapet, coping, 3 dormers, each with sash. Side of rear wing has 2 windows, one sash and two 2-light casements with leaded lights. Rear has 2 canted bays through 2 storeys, each with 3 sashes with eared cills at each storey, except ground floor left blocked for access to rear wing, central round- headed opening has C20 door with glazed upper section with Gothic intersecting glazing bars, band course carried round head of opening, first floor has central round-headed sash with Gothic intersecting glazing bars in upper section; plinth, modillion cornice, parapet and coping, tripartite hipped roof has 4 dormers, 3 with sashes, 2nd from right with single light casement. Original detached single storey C17 kitchen block to rear, enlarged and attached to house c.1930, 2 storeys and 3 windows, all 2- and 3-light casements with moulded mullions and leaded lights, oriel to first floor right with cornice, parapet and coping, cornice, parapet and coping overall; north west elevation of rear wing has rubble wall remaining from C17 block, with one 3-light casement, partially blocked, with original casement window with leaded lights and iron stanchions. Interior: entrance hall open to front left room, black and cream stone floor, panelled with modillion cornice, panelled shutters to windows, arcade of 2 round- headed arches on columns with keyston