Monument Type(s):

• GUILDHALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• HOUSE (15th century to 17th century - 1459 AD to 1699 AD) + Sci.Date
• BISHOPS PALACE (18th century - 1700 AD to 1799 AD)

Summary

A house, originally built in 1502, which is protected by Grade II* Listing.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA6343 - 2001 DBA and site visit at Courtyard Cottage, Council House Court, Shrewsbury by Nigel Baker

Description

Council house, later episcopal palace, now residence. C15 and C17 with additions principally of c1840. Original parts are coursed and squared red sandstone, but most of house is externally brick, with plain tiled roofs PLAN: 2-storeyed, one long range facing south-east, with gabled porch and wing on NW elevation, and 2 further parallel wings now separate dwellings (The Nun's House and The Centre House, qv). EXTERIOR: long range facing garden has single wall of sandstone, with fenestration all of c1830, wide 3-window range in a Gothic style: 4-light mullioned French windows to left, with segmentally-arched heads, and paired mullioned windows above. Central canted bay window with stone mullions and parapet with 2-light round-arched windows over beneath gable with fretted barge-boards. Lancet win0ow and canted bay window with tall lancet lights in right-hand bay. Brick gable wall with paired mullioned windows with hoodmoulds. Elevation to courtyard has partial coursed and squared sandstone rubble walls raised in brick and incorporating a small 5-light stone mullioned window to the right, with timber-framed gabled porch probably C17 but restored and re-faced in C19. Framed with close studding, with segmental arch carried on Mannerist enriched pilasters, and with boars carved in the spandrels. Small mullioned window over. Inner doorway a 4-centred arch with hood mould over, and relieving arch: in the tympanum formed by the relieving arch is the inscription, "Unless the lord build the house, they have laboured in vayne that built it". Left of porch, a wing of cl840 projects: brick with paired 2-light mullioned windows with round-arched heads and hood moulds on each floor beneath the gable with fretted barge-boards.
INTERIOR: much of the detail is C17 though an extensive re-modelling in C19 has altered the positions of some earlier features (and possibly introduced elements from elsewhere). Main hall subdivided during C19 and half now forms part of neighbouring property (Council House Cottage, qv). Very rich decorative scheme, with wall-panelling with arcaded frieze, and tympana over doorways with carved angels. Above the wall-panelling a lavish plasterwork frieze, with mythical beasts, swags, birds. Stone bosses carry moulded beams of square panelled ceiling. Bosses are cut by partition wall dividing this room from the adjoining one in middle of house, suggesting that this may not be an original wall: if so, the plasterwork frieze must have been reinstated. One boss over window is dated 1634. Fireplace in wall which now divides this house from Council House Cottage, so not in its original position. Possibly early C17, a Mannerist style with lavishly carved woodwork, incorporating grotesque figures. In adjoining room wall-panelling probably of C17, and 2 columns with strapwork enrichment on high pedestals partially divide off one end of the room. Unlikely that any of these are in situ. Staircase dates from early C19 re-modelling. Wing of c. l840 forms former chapel, which incorporates re-sited C17 wall-panelling divided by fluted Doric pilasters, and a fireplace which is dated 1670. Roof structure over central section survives from C15 or early C16 building: 2 trusses, in gabled cross wing, king-post and collar, and cambered tie-beam truss, with 2-tiers of cusped wind braces. Crown post truss in main range of roof. HISTORICAL NOTE: earliest reference to the building is 1501, and the stone walls and roof structure possibly date from around this time. A building on this site had been used as the meeting place of the Council of the Welsh Marches, which has given it its name, but the present building owes much of its form to programmes of building dating from the early C17 and early C19. It was until recently the residence of the Bishop of Shrewsbury, and formed part of a larger residence now sub-divided <2>

(SA 20193) Council House Cottage Formerly known as: The Council House COUNCIL HOUSE COURTYARD. House, once forming part of Old Council House (qv), now a separate dwelling. C15-C17, altered C19. Coursed and squared sandstone rubble and brick with plain tiled roof. Ground floor is stone, with doorway to right and 2 sash windows with single ring cambered brick heads. Upper windows are 12-pane sashes with segmentally-arched heads. Axial stack. Includes part of hall of Old Council House (qv), subdivided during C19 <3>

Identifiable late medieval building outline shown on UAD mapping, based on plan of roof trusses by Madge Moran <4>

According to Forrest, was built by Peter Newton in 1502, and enlarged in 1571 when it was leased to the town by Richard Onslow <5>

Description of timber roof above solar dated to c.1502 and in the hall. Questions the date of the stone building - was it refitting an earlier building on the site? Photographs of porch, fireplace, exterior of solar, solar roof.<6>

In Courtyard Cottage the ground floor rooms include longitudinal and transverse beams, heavily moulded, with hexagonal flat intersections designed to accommodate attached bosses, since removed. The longitudinal beams continue on into the Old Council House hall, which was partitioned in the early 19th century to form Courtyard Cottage. The latter includes possibly four bays, with two bays remaining as part of the Old Council House. Originally this hall may have consisted of either a ground floor hall with a flat ceiling and a council chamber above open to the roof, or as a first floor hall and a substantial room below. The ceiling of the ground floor hall of the Old Council House shows how this would have originally appeared in Courtyard Cottage. The Courtyard Cottage is likely to have been the 'high' end of the hall, and could possibly have incorporated a dais.->

-> Evidence suggests the west and east walls of Courtyard Cottage were rebuilt in the early 19th century and are set back from the wall line of the Old Council House. A wall footing observed c.0.8m from the west elevation on a diagonal line to the west elevation, consistent with the location of the canted bay window depicted on a 1815 plan. It has been suggested this was demolished and rebuilt in it current location when the west wall was rebuilt in the early 19th century. <7><8>

Following the submission of the 2001 appraisal [<7> ESA6343] detailed submissions were lodged in objection to central conclusion that the courtyard cottage west elevation had been rebuilt in the early 19th century. A post script [<8>] and a letter of correspondence [<9>] contains Nigel Barker response to the objections. <8><9>

The oldest part consists of two units, a solar crosswing, dendro-dated to 1465-75, which has a roof of tie-and-collar-beam construction with one open arch-braced collar-beam truss and another of the standard Shrewsbury closed-truss form, and a hall range of 1501 where the roof line is higher. Each range has two tiers of cusped windbraces, those in the hall being of less robust form and having a V-shaped nick cut in the back edge. The hall range was designed to make use of the roof space having a fully-framed floor at attic level and a framed door giving access from the older crosswing which was, presumably, floored ascross at this time. Ground floor plan and sections of hall and crosswing.<10>

Built within the outer bailey of the Castle, The Council House was the headquarters of the historic Council of the Marches when it sat at Shrewsbury. Normally based at Ludlow, it was formed during Edward IV’s reign, ratified by Henry VII, and finally abolished in 1689, it was both a judicial and administrative body, virtually governing Wales and the border counties to the west of Offa’s Dyke. Although the house has extensions of the seventeenth century and later, the core comprises two phases. The first is a crosswing with a felling date range of 1465-75 and comprises a roof of tie and collar-beam construction with one open arch-braced collar-beam truss, and another of lesser importance. The windbraces are thick, short and cusped, with the spandrels reduced to a minimum. ->

-> The ‘hall’ range dates to 1501 with a roof containing two tiers of slightly-cusped plank windbraces with a nick cut in to the backs. It seems clear that the hall range with its higher roof line was designed to make use of the roof-space as it has a fully-framed floor at second floor level and a framed door giving access from the older crosswing which was, presumably, partially floored across at this time. The ‘hall’ was truncated at some time ad subdivision of the whole complex has led to difficulties of interpretation, but the felling date of 1501 coincides with a deed dated 18th September 1500 which specifies a transfer from Elizabeth Kynaston to Peter Newton. He was Chancellor to the Council under Henry VII and it seems likely that he built or re-built the hall against the earlier solar wing. <11>

Probably all principal rooms had wall paintings but since destroyed. Accounts of 1582 submitted by John Cley, painter, include for painting the hall; the great stairs; gallery; my lord's two chambers; my lady's chamber; my lord's gallery and stair; the entry, but not the great chamber. Total cost of all painting was 20s. Colours used were black, yellow and red. An architect working on the building in the 1970s recalls timbers being removed which were covered in painted decoration in black, yellow and maroon in a flowing foliage pattern. <12>

Portions of two medieval roofs survive at right angles to each other. One, probably over a solar crosswing, has a maint tie and collar-beam truss with central king strut and two flanking raking queen posts, plus an intermediate truss of arch-braced collar-beam construction. Tow tiers of cusped windbraces, threaded purlins. The other roof appears to be a covering a very tall hall. Two tiers of cusped windbraces are employed. <13>

Sources

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