79, High Street, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 (Grade II*)

CORSHAM HIGH STREET ST 8770 (west side) 5/225 No 79 20.12.60 GV II*

House, C16 or earlier, roughcast rubble stone with stone tiled roofs. One and a half storeys, Z-plan with main range gable-ended to street and wings projecting to north-east and south-west. End wall stacks to wings, ridge stack to main range. East end, to street, has main coped gable with 2-light hollow-moulded mullion window over 3-light flush chamfered mullion window. Studded plank door to right in chamfered surround. To right, east side of wing has upper dormer gable with 2-light recessed cyma-moulded window over 2-light ovolo-moulded window. North gable end of wing has blank panel and end wall stack on east roof slope. Rear west wall stack and large lean-to in angle to main range with north end door. Original pointed-arched doorway with plank door to cross-passage is within lean-to extension. Main range north front has ground floor 2-light and single light, to right of lean-to, and upper 2-light window, all ovolo-moulded. Roof is hipped at north-west angle. Stone-tiled single storey addition at west end, and to right, west side of south-west wing has recessed chamfered mullion window with hoodmould to each floor, 2-light above, 3-light below. South gable end is windowless and projects slightly beyond south front of main range. South front has pointed-arched former door to cross- passage, now with 4-pane intersecting glazing bar window, small hipped eaves-breaking dormer over, 2-light ovolo-moulded window to right with similar window in dormer gable over and blocked ground floor window beyond. Interior: Heavy 4-panel beamed ceiling at south-east extending over present entrance passage. Room above has wind-brace and stone Tudor-arched fireplace with shelf. Closed string stair with moulded rail. Early C18 panelled door from stair to north east upper room. Cross-passage has one pointed arched doorway on east side, to entrance passage and 2 on west side, one to rear passage, one to south-west ground floor room which has moulded Tudor-arched fireplace. House is recorded as owned by Bolton or Tomson Family from c1540 to 1597, L. Kington 1597-1606 and W. Moxham and his descendants 1606-1762 when bought by P. Methuen. (H. Brakspear Corsham n.d. 25.)