Little Cloister House Gloucester, England

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GLOUCESTER

SO8318NW CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS 844-1/8/56 Little Cloister House 23/01/52

GV I

Part of the conventual buildings of the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter, now public school house, part of the King's School (qv). C13 with substantial C15 additions, C16 conversion to house and later alterations. Ashlar, timber frame and brick, tiled roof, brick stacks. PLAN: three parallel ranges aligned north-south, the east range built on top of the west alley of the Little Cloister (qv), in the central range on the ground floor a large early C13 vaulted chamber, formerly the undercroft below the monastic Misericord or Chequer; the misericord refitted later as a large chamber on the first floor; on the west side a C15 timber-framed range built above a recessed C13 entry to the vaulted undercroft; the principal entry to the house is from the west alley of the Little Cloister. EXTERIOR: two storeys and attic; the north front with a gable to each of the three ranges, and on the right the timber-framed upper floors supported at ground level at the north-west corner by a timber post with braces to the first-floor bessumer; inset below the upper floors a C13 arched doorway framed by nook shafts with moulded bases and capitals, and a moulded arch with hoodmould; the gable-end wall to the central and east ranges of brick. The east side of the east range is timber-framed with a first-floor jetty above the garth wall of the Little Cloister (qv), and has a moulded bressumer to the jetty and close studding with intermediate rails; in the northern half of the wall two inserted C18 sashes with glazing bars (4x4 panes) and in the southern half two three-light casements with glazing bars (2x3 panes in each light). The south gabled end of the east range rendered on timber framing. INTERIOR: entrance hall in the centre of the east range with early C18 dog-leg staircase with closed string and turned balusters; in the first floor of the east range exposed timber-framing. The early C13 undercroft on the ground floor of the central range of three quadripartite vaulted bays with transverse and diagonal ribs rising from short wall shafts with moulded bases and carved foliage capitals; in the central bay on the east side a large fireplace with a restored segmental arched head. On the first floor a chamber largely refitted in C19; in the

east wall an elaborate C19 timber chimney-piece to the large fireplace incorporating earlier decorative features, principally two heads in profile carved in relief, dated 1534, each panel reset in a later frame at either end of the chimney-piece, within the fireplace blind Gothic arcading to the sides and back; across the front of the chimney-piece a C19 frieze of panels carved with sunflowers. Early C18 panelling and below the inserted ceiling a frieze painted with armorial shields. In the roof space the early C13 roof with braced collars altered in the C15 when the original tie beams cut out and a form of crown post construction inserted; the remains of the painting discovered during restoration work on the face of the gable at the north end removed for display in the Parliament Room in Church House (qv). Within the west range exposed timber-framing. (Welander D: The History, Art and Architecture of Gloucester Cathedral: Stroud, Gloucestershire: 1991-; BOE: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean: London: 1976-: 223).

Listing NGR: SO8311118865