Description

CIRENCESTER

SO9703 CIRENCESTER PARK
578-1/1/345 Alfred's Hall at NGR SO 972 031
14/06/48

II*

Landscape building. 1721, enlarged 1732 with C19 alterations.
Designed by Alexander Pope and Lord Bathurst. Coursed squared
limestone rubble with ashlar dressings; roof covering not
visible behind parapet. Gothick sham ruin, now genuinely
ruinous, of irregular plan and scattered fenestration.
Present entrance front to south is 2-storey 5-window range.
2 bays to centre largely intact with only remaining roofed
portion of building behind bay to centre left, bay to centre
right screen wall, wing to left screen wall concealing former
actual and sham rooms behind, to right quadrant of screen wall
curving forwards partially collapsed. First floor has to
centre left lancet window with cusped head and leaded lights,
to centre right heavily rusticated 2-light stone-mullion
window, unglazed; to far left lancet window with cusped head,
in quadrant of wall to right 2 unglazed lancets.
Ground floor has to centre left doorway with 4-centred arched
head with chamfered reveal with brick relieving arch over and
shield and head carved in relief with Gothic lettering
ALFRED'S HALL, to centre right round-headed doorway; to left
2-light chamfered stone mullion and transom window with cusped
headed lights, to far left former doorway now collapsed; to
right in quadrant of screen wall 2 lancet windows, that to
left with cusped head, to far right pointed doorway. Low
buttress with offsets to left, bay to far left breaks forward
with quoins at angles; embattled parapet to 2 centre bays,
remaining in part only to left and right.
Right side (east) has 2-storey bow with 2-light window with
traceried head and hoodmould to first floor, 3-light pointed
window with intersecting stone tracery and hoodmould to ground
floor, embattled parapet.
Rear elevation (north) has to left lancet with cusped head
over round-headed doorway with hoodmould with keystone and
coat of arms carved in relief over, to centre 3- and 4-light
stone mullion and transom windows, probably C19, two-storey
bow to right; embattled parapet. Left side (W) probably
originally of ruinous apearance with sham rooms, now further
collapsed.
INTERIOR now consists of one room only; roof, west wall and
floors of secondary room to rear left collapsed March 1989.
Rectangular room approximately 12.6 x 4.8m with apsidal
extension inside bow to east has entrance doorways to south
and north and doorway to former secondary room to west in
moulded timber architraves, that to west with panelled reveal,
that to south with architrave broken upwards to centre to
enclose armorial device in plaster, doors now gone; remains of
oak dado panelling.
Alfred's Hall probably the first Gothick sham ruin to be built
in England; enlarged 1732 when said to have been embellished
with fragments from the manor house at Sapperton, demolished
by Bathurst that year (panelling and other fittings also now
at Sapperton Church); etching by Thomas Robins 1763 shows
small square tower to north, of which fragment may remain, and
extensive mock ruins, now gone; centre of north front shown as
small 2-bay cottage suggesting present stone
mullion-and-transom windows and embattled parapet C19
alterations; 1887 History of Cirencester quotes correspondence
of Pope et al. indicating Alfred's Hall attached to
pre-existing cottage; extent of popular use in C19 could
explain alterations.
(The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The
Cotswolds: London: 1970-: P.86; Beecham KJ: History of
Cirencester and the Roman City Corinium: 1887-: P.191-193;
Fleming L: The English Garden: London: 1979-: P.110; Smith JA:
Pavilions in Peril: London: 1987-: P 10 - 11; Glos. CC,
Archaeology Section: Parry C: Report on archaeological works
... Alfred's Hall: March: 1989-: GLOS 3674; EH Gardens
Register: Gloucestershire: Grade I: London: 1986-).

Listing NGR: SO9726203126

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Alfred's Hall (at NGR SO972031) at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17536835

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

• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide