Prior Overtons Tower, Repton

Description

Priors lodgings, converted and enlarged into a private house, now school. c1438, c1680, extended to east and raised in C19, extension to west 1884 by John Shaw of Derby. Coursed squared sandstone, ashlar and red brick. Plain tile roof, various C19 brick stacks. Three storeys. South elevation of nine plus four bays, and extensive red brick range of 1884 to west not of special interest. The nine bay part represents the late C17 house. Moulded cornice and first floor band. The ground floor has a doorway in the second bay from the left, with moulded architrave and segmental pediment. Raised and fielded panelled door. To the left a wooden cross window with keyed moulded stone surround. Similar window to right. To the right again a glazing bar sash in similar surround, a former doorway with glazing bar sash in similar surround, two similar glazing bar sashes and a glazing bar sash in a doorway with similar surround, and another glazing bar sash. Nine wooden cross windows above in keyed eared moulded architraves. The four bays to the right are C19 with glazing bar sashes under plain lintels. Late C19 tile hung top floor with eight gabled dormers. Pair of gate piers attached to south after third bay from left. Square in plan with pilaster strips on the inner faces with inverted brackets. Moulded caps. The north elevation has casements, wooden cross windows and sashes of various dates, either side of Prior Overton's tower. Prior Overton's tower is all that remains of the Prior's new lodgings built some time soon after 1437. It is one of the most ornate pieces of early domestic brick architecture in England, the style more Hanseatic than English. Ashlar basement with buttresses with two set-offs. Rising from these are brick buttresses rising to two corbelled-out polygonal angle turrets, with one tier of small rectangular slit windows. Between are two giant blank cusped 2-light arches in two tiers, with two tiers of cross windows set in, the lower pair with the brick mullions of the blind arches. Roll moulding to the outer round-arched order. Parapet corbelled out on two tiers of billet moudling. Interior: Entrance hall has a pair of Doric columns, painted stone bolection moulded chimneypiece and massive moulded beams. Drawing room. Bolection moulded chimneypiece with moulded cornice, in Hopton Wood stone. Oak panelling and double cornice. Dining room. Painted panelling, bolection moulded Hopton Wood chimneypiece. The office (in Prior Overton's tower) . Four centred arched ashlar chimneypiece, fine C15 carved beams with ornamental bosses. Headmaster's Study. Re-used C17 panelling. staircase, closed string with heavy turned balusters. Staircase window with enamelled armorial glass of 1813 by William Eginton of Birmingham. Several upper rooms have remains of late C17 panelling. (Listed Building Report)

Comments

Brick Tower of about 1440-50 formerly the Priory lodgings now part of school. Doubtful if this was built with any thought to fortification and appears to be in Salter for it's architectural interest.