Listing Text

WELLS

ST5446 THE LIBERTY
662-1/6/303 (North side)
12/11/53 No.7
St Andrew's Lodge, with front
boundary wall

GV II

Former Charity School, now part of the Wells Cathedral School;
linked to No.5 (qv) adjoining. School, founded 1713. Random
coursed local stone rubble with Doulting ashlar dressings,
Welsh slate roof with sawn stone ridge between coped gables,
one brick and one stone chimney stack. Double-depth
central-hall plan with transverse stair to rear right.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, symmetrical 5 bays. 2-light stone
casements with transom, with slight beading to all members,
set in moulded architraves, the ground-floor windows having
pediment hoods. Entrance in bay 3, with a 6-panel door and
rectangular fanlight set in stone architrave over which is a
semicircular pediment enclosing a carved figure of Saint
Andrew. C19 lean-to and other extensions to rear, and to east
gable, set back, in brick with stone dressings.
INTERIOR: hall to full depth retains black and white marble
slabs set diagonally; return to stair with C19 ceramic tiles.
Both main rooms have late C19 fireplaces. Ground floor has 4
large, flat, chamfered and stopped ceiling beams. Stair has
turned balusters to moulded and swept handrail to square
newels. Small service room in outshot behind stair has broad
fireplace with brick jambs and deep flush square lintel,
probably reset. Fielded 6-panel doors. Fireplaces are late
C19. Roof not seen. Detail is generally later than the
exterior would indicate.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: extending southwards from the south-west
corner of the house, returning along front boundary and then
back to south-east corner an enclosing wall in random stone
with moulded ashlar copings, dropping to 1m height along
front, swept up at ends. At the left-hand end is a broad
ashlar pier, and opposite the main entry a low pair of square
ashlar gate piers having moulded pyramidal cappings.
HISTORICAL NOTE: erected by Philip Hodges, a citizen of Wells,
for the school, which it remained until moved in the early C19
to Portway. After several tenancies as a private house it
became briefly after 1947 a Canonical House, before being
leased to the Cathedral School in 1955.
(Bailey S: Canonical Houses of Wells: Gloucester: 1982-: 184;
The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: North Somerset and
Bristol: London: 1958-: 328).

Listing NGR: ST5506846078