HER 7606 DESCRIPTION:-

Listed Building Description:

LECKHAMPTON CHURCH ROAD SO 9-1 NW (south side) 4/117 Leckhampton Court with wall and gate piers II* 04/07/60

Manor house now a hospice. C14 home of the Giffards, extended C16 and C18, partly rebuilt late C19 by R. A. Prothero, extensive restoration 1977-1981. Ashlar and coursed squared and dressed limestone; close-studded timber framing; stone slate roof; ashlar and brick stacks, some C20. The buildings are arranged to form a 3-sided courtyard with a wall on the fourth side. Two storeys and attic. C14 east range with a projecting central porch; C16 extension rear right. C14 gabled 2-storey porch with diagonal buttresses central C20 part-glazed door reached via a flight of segmental steps moved from the entrance to the courtyard, within a moulded Tudor-arched surround with a moulded hood with square stops; C17-early C18 stone-mullioned cross window with lugged architrave inserted at first floor level; small blocked splayed window to the right-hand return; battlemented parapet with string which acts as a hood over the cross-mullioned window; scratch sundial above the dripmould; battlemented parapet continued along the eaves of the C14 range. Corridor either side of the porch. The corridor to the left of the porch appears to be C19 and is lit by 3-light stone-mullioned windows with transoms; the corridor to the right of the porch appears to be C20 in date and is lit by 2-light stone-mullioned windows with Tudor-arched surrounds; projecting porch with a double part-glazed door far right; battlemented parapets to both corridors. C16 range at rear has early studded plank door within a moulded 4-centred arched surround with the date 15 / 82, carved in the spandrels; initials 'I / B' flanking a fleur-de-lys above the door. The door is entered at first floor level from a terrace at this point. Buttressed C16 range runs forwards from the right-hand -end of the C14 range: close-studded timber framing with passing braces to the first floor of the side facing the courtyard; two C20 plank doors one with a flat-chamfered surround one within a Tudor-arched surround and one blocked doorway to the ground floor; 3 tall Tudor-arched cross-mullioned windows, probably C19, spanning both floors with roll-moulded mullions. Two, 3 and 4-light windows, created by the removal of the rendered infill between the studding. Buttressed gable end with a 2-light stone-mullioned casement with a moulded hood within a blocked doorway; 3-light.casement with round-headed lights and hollow-chamfered mullions. C20 casements and sashes to the rear. Late C18 range at right angles to gable end. C19 range runs forwards from the left end. of the C14 range and is lit by stone-mullioned casements with 4-centred arched heads. The most striking features of this range are the 2-storey flat-roofed canted bay windows. Buttressed C16 range at the gable end of the C19 range with early studded plank door within a partly moulded Tudor-arched surround, carved spandrels and a moulded hood with diamond stops opening into the courtyard; two 3-light stone-mullioned windows with Tudor-arched heads to the first floor with hoods with diamond stops; two C20 two-light roof dormers. Blocked doorway to the gable end, with a restored 3-light hollow-chamfered stone-mullioned casement inserted within the blocking; similar stone-mullioned casements above; small reused C15 carved angel holding a shield between the floors; 2-light double-chamfered stone-mullioned casement to the attic. The principal features of the rear wall are a 5-light canted oriel window, a C19 studded plank door within a hollow-chamfered Tudor-arched surround with a hood with diamond stops, and a projecting stack with one octagonal and one twisted rubbed brick stack. Stepped gable end coping with roll-cross saddles. Axial, off-the-ridge and projecting lateral stacks. An ashlar wall c2m in height encloses the courtyard on the west side. Pair of gate piers off-centre left with moulded cappings and ball finials.

Interior: C14 cross-mullioned windows with quatrefoils on the west side of the former hall, now concealed by the C19 corridor. The roof of the timber-framed range retains some windbracing and a single arch-braced roof truss, the roof having been largely reconstructed C20. The stone-built C16 range contains a Tudor arched fireplace the lintel of which projects out slightly from the wall. The C19 range contains two ornate fireplaces one C17 in style with strapwork. 'S'-curve dragon motifs and the initials 'J.H' (John Hargreaves), the other fireplace has eclectic decoration and fluted columns. The house passed by marriage from the Giffard family to the Norwood family, several of whom are commemorated in the nearby Church of St Peter (q.v.). The last Norwood died at the end of the C18 and the manor thence passed to the Trye family of Hardwicke. From c1879 the house was occupied by John Hargreaves who built the C19 range for the reception of his friend Edward VII who as Prince of Wales was a regular visitor. (David Verey, The Buildings of England: The Vale and the Forest of Dean: Engraving of c1712 by Kip in Atkyn's History of Gloucestershire: Article on the C20 restoration in The Architects Journal 17/3/1982. E. Andrew and E. Brewin: Leckhampton through [the Ages, 1984.]. Listing NGR: SO 94499 19338. {Source Work 2420.}

During excavations made prior to 1884 many old stones were found by our late rector,some bearing the fleur de lis, showing them to be the debris of a previous building. {Source Work 4099}. {Source Work 599.}

Visted by A Saville and A Hannnan, following a planning application, in 1975. {Source Work 599.}

Remarkable survival of Medieval domestic architecture - a 14th century hall and doorway; a Late 14th century-early 15th century carving of angel holding shield; 16th century south wing-timber framed,door inscribed 1582; 17th century window; 18th century screen and panelling; 19th century roof, Coach house of 17th century date survives. Courtyard house. Now a private school. {Source Work 291.}

Leckhampton Court was the home of No 42 Gloucestershire Voluntary Aid Detachment during WW1. The following report from the commanding officer (on closure in 1919) has been quoted from Source Work 10594: "Glos 42 came into being under its present officers in the spring of 1910. With the advent of war it equipped a hospital, entirely by voluntary contributions, at Leckhampton Court, which was very kindly lent for the purpose by Mrs Cecil Elwes, and was ready for patients by the 1st of November 1914, though it was not used until the following February. The situation of the hospital, its glorious views and gardens, its exhilarating air, and homely old-world atmosphere, were particularly successful in all cases of shell-shock and gas poisoning, while the out-of-door shelters have been the means of complete cure in many cases of chest trouble. Its record of operations is very satisfactory, over 140 having been performed, and every one with a successful result. The discipline maintained by the hospital has been really excellent, the patients themselves taking an interest in their family record. The extensive grounds have afforded ample scope for all kinds of games and provided an outlet for the exuberance of the more convalescent. The personnel of the staff has remained practically the same throughout, except that one Medical Officer - Dr Pearson - volunteered for service in France, and fourteen V.A. members have been posted by Devonshire House to "fresh fields and pastures new", there not being enough work at Leckhampton to employ the many eager and willing helpers." {Source Works 10594 & 10596.}

"The terraced gardens and former canal are visible as earthworks at Leckhampton Court on aerial photographs and were mapped as part of the Severn Vale NMP Project. Leckhampton Court is a medieval manor house dating to the 14th century, but the garden is likely to be later in date. The features visible on the aerial photographs do resemble the layout in Kip’s coloured engraving from 1712. The terraces are orientated roughly east-west and are marked on the 1st edition OS map (1887), the site of the canal (centred at SO 94566 19390) is still visible as an earthwork though is no longer water filled. (1-4)" {Source Work 4249.}

AREA MANAGEMENT: -

Planning application 1975. {Source Work 599.}