Description

CHIPPENHAM

ST9273SW MARKET PLACE
930-1/10/110 (East side)
25/04/50 Nos.38 AND 39
and attached wall

GV II

Inn, now offices. Refronting and remodelling, dated 1680, of
early C16 house; altered C18 and C19, restored 1992-3.
Limestone ashlar, stone slate roof with ashlar stacks to gable
ends and right of centre. Range to front of central-entry
3-room plan; rear wings including early C18 stair turret to
right.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys; symmetrical 3-window range. Original
windows had cavetto-moulded stone mullions, 2 of 2-lights to
the centre flanked by 4-light splayed full-height bays. These,
with C20 glazing, survive on the 2nd floor. The 1st floor has
a C19 plate-glass sash window to the centre and similar paired
windows to the lower floors of the right-hand bay; the bay to
the left has restored paired 6/6-pane sashes to the 1st floor
and an early C20 shop window below. The central C18 stone
doorcase has Ionic pilasters supporting a mid entablature and
pediment; a C18 8-panel door glazed to the top, with raised
and fielded panels below. To the left of it an early C19
6-panel door with a 4-pane overlight has been inserted. The
facade is spanned by a balustraded parapet and modillion
cornice (restored) which follows the contour of splayed bays
and is returned to the left, and moulded string courses
between floors.
Rear recently restored, includes large early C19 bay window
and a C18 stair turret with thick Gothick-pattern glazing
bars. C18 former rear door, now inside a C20 lean-to, has 6
panels and a large timber lock.
INTERIOR: No.38 has a stone moulded and stopped Tudor arch to
the rear right corner which formerly led to the cellar and the
remains of a quartered C16 ceiling which retains some moulding
to the beams and some foliate carving to the cross, the
position of the central boss is plain. Mid C18 dentilled
cornicing to entrance passage. The range to the rear has early
C19 features including an open-string, open-well staircase
with stick balusters.
To the ground-floor front of No.39 is a heavily chamfered
cross-beam and early C18 raised and fielded panelling with
boxed cornice and an early C19 white marble fireplace with
cast-iron grate. The room to the rear has a massive heavily
chamfered cross-beam and a large chimney-breast with a small
C18 stone fireplace. To the rear right is an early C19
open-well open-string staircase with turned newels. C17
collar-truss roof. Chimney-piece with flanking pilasters and
bolection-moulded overmantel, noted in 1978 description, not
seen and probably removed in 1992 building work. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the yard of No.39 is enclosed by a
Flemish bond red brick wall approx 20m long and 3m high with
stone coping. At the end is a blocked freestone architrave to
a former door, possibly to a service block.
HISTORY: formerly The Bell Inn, mentioned in the Tropenel
cartulary of 1320, in 1672 it belonged to Adam Farnewell alias
Goldney. By 1727 the premises had been divided into 2, in 1750
it ceased to be an inn.
An interesting survival of an important late medieval town
house, remodelled as a fine late C17 town house with an early
centralised plan and symmetrical facade.
(Chamberlain, Joseph A: Chippenham: Chippenham: 1976-: 128).

Listing NGR: ST9221673240

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26558392

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)