Description

PAINSWICK
SO 81 SE
2/20 Castle Godwyn (formerly
listed as Castle Godwyn
21.10.55 Dover)
II*
Country house in grounds. Early to mid C18 and C19. Limestone ashlar principal
facades, coursed and squared elsewhere, stone slate roofs. A compact main block
with symmetrical classical front, with a service wing, left, and a two-
storeyed semicircular bay at the back in Gothick style. Front is 2 storeys
basement and attic, 5-windowed, 8-pane sashes above and 10-pane behind, all with
Gothick pointed heads to upper sash and in moulded architraves with keystone to
a first floor moulded string, the upper windows with panelled aprons over and
console blocks to cills. Central pedimented porch with paired glazed doors in
architrave and rusticated pilaster strips; small moulded plinth, rusticated
pilaster strips and moulded cornice, raised to a segmental moulded pediment,
containing a keyed oculus, over centre 3 bays: this flanked by 2 gabled 2-light
dormers. Large external stacks to coped gables left and right. Return left has
extended wing with 2+1 two-light stone mullioned casements at each level, under
continuous strip, and at ground floor a door with deep transom light in 2 panes,
over which is stepped the string. Two small lights in gable. A lower L-shaped
wing beyond this has 2-light mullioned casement to each floor then return of C19
date. Step down to basement. Entrance, north side has projecting gabled porch
with Tudor style door surround, to right are two 2-light plain chamfer mullion
casements under hoods and a 4-light with king mullion, this C19 or C20. At
first floor are three 2-light chamfer mullion casements to hoods and a 3-light
Cl9 similar; two 2-light gabled dormers and one paired dormer; single lights
flank the external stack. The back has a semicircular bay with paired Gothick
casements with plain chamfered Y-tracery. Interior: a good C18 stair with 3
barley-sugar twist balusters per tread, carved scrolled tread ends; at first
floor a 13-arched fluted Doric screen. Drawing room fireplace has pedimented
and enriched mantel; room adjoining with Gothick fire surround; large open stone
fire to kitchen. Contemporary shutters to windows, some heavy chamfered beams.
An interesting combination of C17, C18 and C19 design elements. A plan of the
house and grounds in 1741 shows the main pedimented front of the house exactly
as new, but lacking the projecting porch. (Baddeley, W St C, History of
Painswick, 1929.)

Listing NGR: SO8709311649

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17538251

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)