The priory of Broadstock was very well built, and with good strong ribbs, as one may conclude by the remaines that are left of it yet standing, which are the cellar, which is strongly vaulted with freestone, and the hall above it. It is the stateliest cellar in Wiltshire. The Hall is spatious, and within that the priour's parlour, wherein is good carving. In the middle of the south side of the hall is a large chimney, over which is a great window, so that the draught of the smoake runnes on each side of the chimney. Above the cellars the hall and parlours are one moietie; the church or, chapell stood on the south side of the hall, under which was a vault, as at St. Faithes under Paules. The very fundations of this fair church are now, 1666, digged up, where I saw severall freestone coffins, having two holes bored in the bottome, and severall capitalls and bases of handsome Gothique pillars. On the west end of the hall was the King's lodgeings, which they say were very noble, and standing about 1588. [Aubrey records some further particulars of Bradenstoke Priory; a short account of which edifice will be found in the third volume of the Beauties of Wiltshire. The Gentleman's Magazine, Nov. 1833, contains a wood-cut and account of this old religious house. See also Bowles's History of Lacock Abbey.-J. B.]
The church of Broad Chalke was dedicated to All-Hallowes, as appeares by the ancient parish booke. The tradition is that it was built by a lawyer, whose picture is in severall of the glasse-windowes yet remaining, kneeling, in a purple gowne or robe, and at the bottome of the windowes this subscription: "Orate pro felici statu Magistri Sieardi Lenot". This church hath no pillar, and the breadth is thirty and two feete and two inches. Hereabout are no trees now growing that would be long enough to make the crosse beames that doe reach from side to side. By the fashion of the windowes I doe guesse that it was built in the reigne of King Henry the Sixth. [The church of Broad Chalk is described in Hoare's Modern Wiltshire, Hundred of Chalk, p. 148.] ___________________________________
The market-crosses of Salisbury, Malmesbury, and Trowbridge, are very noble: standing on six pillars, and well vaulted over with freestone well carved. On every one of these crosses above sayd the crest of Hungerford, the sickles, doth flourish like parietaria or wall-flower, as likewise on most publique buildings in these parts, which witnesse not onely their opulency but munificency. I doe think there is such another crosse at Cricklade, with the coate and crests of Hungerford. Quaere de hoc. [There is not any cross remaining in Trowbridge; and that at Cricklade, in the high street, is merely a single shaft, placed on a base of steps. The one at Salisbury is a plain unadorned building; but that of Malmesbury is a fine ornamented edifice. It is described and illustrated in my "Dictionary of the Architecture and Archaeology of the Middle Ages". - J. B.] ___________________________________
The Lord Stourton's house at Stourton is very large and very old, but is little considerable as to the architecture. The pavement of the chapell there is of bricks, annealed or painted yellow, with their coat and rebus; sc. a tower and a tunne. These enamelled bricks have not been in use these last hundred yeares. The old paving of Our Lady Church at Salisbury was of such; and the choire of Gloucester church is paved with admirable bricks of this fashion. A little chapell at Merton, in the Earle of Shaftesbury's house, is paved with such tiles, whereon are annealed or enamelled the coate and quarterings of Horsey. It is pity that this fashion is not revived; they are handsome and far more wholesome than marble paving in our could climate, and much cheaper. They have been disused ever since King Edward the Sixth's time. [Aubrey would have rejoiced to witness the success which has attended the revived use of ornamental paving tiles within the last few years. Messrs. Copeland and Garrett, and Mr. Minton, of Stoke- upon-Trent, as well as the Messrs. Chamberlain of Worcester, are engaged in making large numbers of these tiles, which are now extensively employed by church architects. Those individuals have produced tiles equal in excellence and beauty to the ancient specimens.-J. B.] ___________________________________
Heretofore all gentlemen's houses had fish ponds, and their houses had motes drawn about them, both for strength and for convenience of fish on fasting days.
The architecture of an old English gentleman's house, especially in Wiltshire and thereabout, was a good high strong wall, a gate house, a great hall and parlour, and within the little green court where you come in, stood on one side the barne: they then thought not the noise of the threshold ill musique. This is yet to be seen at severall old houses and seates, e. g. Bradfield, Alderton, Stanton St. Quintin, Yatton-Keynell, &c.
Fallersdowne, vulgo Falston, was built by a Baynton, about perhaps Henry the Fifth. Here was a noble old-fashioned house, with a mote about it and drawbridge, and strong high walles embatteled. They did consist of a layer of freestone and a layer of flints, squared or headed; two towers faced the south, one the east, the other the west end. After the garrison was gonn the mote was filled up, about 1650, and the high wall pulled down and one of the towers. Baynton was attainted about Henry the Sixth. Afterwards the Lord Chief Justice Cheyney had it About the beginning of Queen Elizabeth, ….. Vaughan of Glamorganshire bought it; and about 1649, Sir George Vaughan sold it to Philip Earle of Pembroke.
Longleate House is the most august building in the kingdome. It was built by [Edward] Seymor, Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector,* tempore Edward VI., who sent for the architects out of Italy. The length is 272 foot, the breadth 172 foot; measured by Mr. Moore, Clericus. It is as high as the Banqueting house at Whitehall, outwardly adorned with Dorick, lonick, and Corinthian pillars. Mr. Dankertz drew a landskip of it, which was engraved. Desire Mr. Rose to gett me a print of it.
*[This statement is erroneous. Maiden Bradley, which is not far from Longleat, has been a seat of the noble family of Seymour for many centuries, and they have an old mansion there; but the family never possessed Longleat. The latter estate, on the contrary, was granted by King Henry VIII. to Sir John Horsey, and Edward Earl of Hertford, from whom it was purchased by Sir John Thynne, ancestor of its present proprietor, the Marquess of Bath. In 1576, Sir John commenced the splendid mansion at Longleat, which some writers assert was designed by John of Padua. The works were regularly prosecuted during the next twelve years, and completed by the two succeeding owners of the property. See Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain, vol. ii. - J. B.]
Longford House was built by the Lord Georges, after the fashion of one of the King of Swedland's palaces. The figure of it is triangular, and the roomes of state are in the round towers in the angles. These round roomes are adorned with black marble Corinthian pillars, with gilded capitalls and bases. 'Twas sold to the Lord Colraine about 1646. [It now belongs to the Earl of Radnor. Plans, views, and accounts of this mansion, as well as of Longleat and Charlton Houses, are published in the "Architectural Antiquities", vol. ii.-J. B.]