Description

ST 9958 POTTERNE HIGH STREET
(east side)

14/157 No 6 (Porch House)
19.3.62

GV I

House, c1480 restored 1872-6 by E. Christian, timber-frame with
stone slate roofs and ashlar stacks. Single storey central great
hall flanked by 2-storey gabled cross wings with 2-storey gabled
porch projecting from south cross wing and rear wing extending back
from north cross wing. A remarkable unified design of a single
build, close-studded framing on ashlar plinth, the cross wings
flush with the main range but jettied at first floor, the jetties
aligned with the mid-rail of the hall and a moulded sill-course
continued under eaves cove of the hall. Finely carved bargeboards
to wings and porch, one a C19 renewal, ball finials to wings and
hips of main roof. Hall has projecting full-height timber bay to
left with traceried leaded lights and inserted stained glass.
Moulded transom, brattished cornice and 5-lights to front. Upper
lights are restorations and possibly also tracery of lower lights.
To right, close studding and deep eaves cove. Cross wings have
brackets on moulded shafts under jetties, moulded bressumers and
cambered tie-beams and collars. Left wing has ground floor
restored oriel of 3 pairs of traceried leaded lights and first
floor 1:2:1 light canted oriel with moulded transom and brattished
cornice, supported on moulded bracket. Ashlar side-wall stack
flanked by C19 timber oriels. Right cross wing has porch
projecting to left and, to right, timber oriel dated G.R. 1874 to
first floor and ground floor restored 4-light leaded window with
traceried heads. Porch is jettied on 3 sides with first floor
similar oriel dated G.R. 1874. Ground floor Tudor-arched restored
entry and 3-light C19 traceried openings to sides. C19 Tudor-
arched studded plank inner door with original small pointed wicket.
Rear has flush gable to south cross-wing, close-studded rear wall
to hall and 2-bay rear wing to north cross wing, jettied on south
front with tension bracing, 2-window range with door to left and
east end C19 ashlar stack. To south of original house is c1874
kitchen range with ashlar base, band of timber-mullion windows
under eaves and stone slate roof with high brick stack. A
picturesque dormer has been removed from road front. Garden front
has projecting gable with half-timbering over window band.
Interior: 2-bay great hall with hammer-beam centre truss and 3
tiers of windbracing. Moulded wall-plate. Upper end parlour has
massive stone fireplace, 4-centred arch and moulded shelf. Upper
room has windbraced roof. Rear wing has massive cross-beams to
ceiling and C19 fireplace to match parlour fireplace. In 1870s
restoration glass mosaic floors were inserted, and some fine
encaustic floor tiles in lower end. C15 to C17 stained glass in
hall was restored from fragments given by Lord Leven, provenance
unknown. Porch House was probably built for the Bishops of
Salisbury, who held the Manor of Potterne. In 1508 it was leased
to W. Trymnell and Trymnell family held the house in the C17.
During the C18 it was a pub called the Pack Horse and was
subdivided into cottages, possibly in 1847 when a plaque records
repairs by H.S. Olivier of the Manor House, Potterne (q.v.). In
1870 George Richmond R.A. (1809-96) bought the house, on the
recommendation, supposedly, of Samuel Palmer, and restored it with
exemplary care, advised partly by E. Christian and mostly by
Christian's assistant - Purday. A drawing of 1810 by J. Buckler is
in the Devizes Museum.
(Wilts. Arch. Mag, 11 1869 p,l.: Wilts. Arch. M ag, 16 1876 p.295:
A.M.W. Stirling (ed), The Richmond Papers, p 85: N. Pevsner,
Wiltshire, 1975 372)

Listing NGR: ST9949158452

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529859

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)