Description

PITTON AND FARLEY CHURCH ROAD, Farley SU 22 NW (south side) 10/124 The Almshouses, also known as Fox's Hospital (formerly listed as the Wardenry) 23.3.60 GV I

Almshouses and wardenry with schoolroom, 1688-90 by Alexander Fort, Joiner to His Majesty's Office of Works, for Sir Stephen Fox, Paymaster to the forces of James II, Charles II and Queen Anne, also benefactor and collaborator of Sir Christopher Wren at Chelsea Hospital. Flemish brickwork (from Kniqhtswood), Edward Holder, bricklayer. Tiled roofs. Symmetrical, central block 2 storeys and attic comprising warden's accommodation with some communal rooms, and wings each of 6 dwellings for poor aged persons, men to east, women to west. Total cost £1835.8s.8d. Wardenry of 4 window bays, two tall panelled doors with glazed upper section and overlights, the right door fixed, probably originally to great hall cum schoolroom. Wide segmental relieving arches over doors and flat canopy on brackets with wrought iron bracket supports. Stained oak cross windows with leaded glazing, the ground floor windows having segmental arches. Plat band at floor level. Between upper windows, centrally, a Portland stone dedication panel with broken pediment reading : DED OPT MAX Bonarum Omnium Largitori / ISThoc Quantutumcunque Grati Animi / Monumentum acceptum Refert / SCHOLAE hujus et PTOCHOTROPHII / Fundator humilis et gratabundus / Anno Salutis Reparatae / MDCLXXXI / Quid Tibi Diritiae prosunt quas congeris Hospes / Solasquas dederis semper habebis opes. Coved eaves. Roof hipped with 2 hipped dormers. Four stacks on side walls. To rear, two conjoined gables with minor flanking gables at lower level. Door in third bay with flat canopy over. Almshouses originally comprised two rooms, one above the other, and buttery/fuel store at rear, later altered at rear to provide 2 bedrooms under hipped roof. Elevation to each has 2 close spaced stained oak 2-light windows on upper floor, one and 2-panelled door on ground floor, the doors paired together under floating hipped tiled roof. Single door nearest wardenry leads to (?)laundry on right, kitchen on left. Interior: Right room, probably original hall, now living room, has Purbeck fireplace, probably early C18, and C16-C17 cupboard doors set early C20 as overmantel. Similar fireplace in dining room to rear of hall. Principal chamber on first floor, front, has good plaster ceiling with moulded arms of Sir Stephen with supporters (one a fox fretty, other plain), and other arms in 3 corner cartouches. Fireplace early C18, moulded surround with moulded surround and pulvinated frieze, and overmantel with oil portrait of Sir Stephen in eared architraved frame. Rear parlour has bolection moulded panelling and wood cornice, also a bolection fireplace. Cornice in smaller bedroom and C17 and C18 panelling, augmented in C19, fixed elsewhere. Almshouses have single fireplace and newel stair. Those in east wing altered to form larger units. Rear wall of Wardenry extended out to form garden enclosed in high brick walls, the end cross wall rebuilt c.1985. (Wren Society Publications, xviii 66, xix, 88 and RCHM).

Listing NGR: SU2247029523

External Links

• Wikidata Q17529461

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