St. Edmund Hall
(21) St. Edmund Hall, stands on the E. side of
Queen's Lane and immediately S. of the churchyard of
St. Peter in the East. The walls are of local rubble and
ashlar and the roofs are covered with slates and tiles.
The Hall is thought to stand on the site of a house
occupied by Edmund of Abingdon. It appears as St.
Edmund Hall in a rental of Oseney Abbey of 1317. It
remained the freehold of this foundation until the
dissolution; in 1557 it passed to the Queen's College,
which appointed the Principals till 1937. Nothing
recognisable has been preserved of the mediæval
buildings which occupied the site of the W. and part
of the N. ranges. In the principalship of Thomas
Bowsfield (1581–1600) in the second half of the 16th
century the existing E. half of the N. Range was built
and early in the 17th century, under John Aglionby
(1601–9), the small House at the S. end of the E. range
is said to have been built. Under Adam Airay (1631–
58) and Thomas Tullie (1658–76) the W. range, which
had become ruinous, was pulled down and the existing
range, with the Hall and porter's lodge, was built.
The Chapel and Library were built chiefly through
the liberality of Stephen Penton, Principal (1676–83);
the foundation-stone was laid in 1680 and the chapel
consecrated in 1682. About 1741 under Thomas
Shaw, Principal (1740–51), the mediæval W. part of
the N. range was pulled down and re-built with the
exception of the large fireplace. The existing modern
S. range of the quadrangle was completed in 1934.
St. Edmund Hall Arms
St. Edmund Hall
Architectural Description—The W. or Hall Range,
of two dates, the S. part of c. 1635 and the N. part of
1659, is mainly of three storeys with cellars and attics
but the Hall occupies two storeys towards the N.
end. The W. front is ashlar-faced and has been somewhat altered since Loggan's view was taken; it retains,
however, its top range of little altered windows of 17th-century type with elliptical heads to the lights; it has
three restored stone gables enclosing the dormer-windows; two lower windows, at the N. end, are
similar; the projecting bay-window has been completely altered. The entrance-doorway is original an/d
has flanking pilasters, imposts, three-centred arch in a
square head and a heavy eared architrave supporting
a pediment with a cartouche of the arms of the Hall;
on the architrave is a modern chronogram. The
battened door is nail-studded and has strap-hinges
and a knocker. The E. front is also ashlar-faced and
has two restored stone gables, one partly covered by
the modern S. wing; the other has a window of
17th-century type and beside it a round-headed window,
formerly a niche in which hung a bell later removed to
the library. The top floor has a series of small windows
like those on the W. front; below them are the three
windows of the hall, each of two four-centred and
transomed lights in a four-centred head with moulded
reveals and label; the restored doorway to the hall has
moulded jambs and four-centred arch in an eared
architrave, with plain imposts and key-block. The inner
archway of the entrance-passage has moulded jambs and
three-centred arch in a square head; above it is a modern
oriel-window. The cellar has windows of a similar type
to those of the top floor and a doorway with a four-centred head. Inside the range the Hall (33½ ft. by
19¾ ft.) has a ceiling of four bays with chamfered crossbeams, curved braces and moulded corbels. Elsewhere in the range some ceiling-beams are exposed
and there is a little re-set 17th and 18th-century panelling.
The N. Range is of three storeys with attics and is of
two dates, the eastern half of late 16th-century date and
the western of c. 1741. On the N. front, the later part
of the W. front has windows with stone architraves;
in the E. part the top storey is timber-framed and
plastered. On the lower floors is a series of original
square-headed windows, but higher up the windows
are of 18th-century or modern date. On the S. front,
to the quadrangle (Plate 171), the whole range is treated
in a uniform manner, a straight joint indicating the
junction of the two periods of building. There are
string-courses between the storeys and a series of
modern gabled dormers; the partly restored windows
have four-centred or elliptical heads to the lights and the
doorways have four-centred heads; the wooden sundial is perhaps of 1741. Inside the range the Junior
Common Room retains a panelled 17th-century door
and a late mediæval fireplace with chamfered jambs
and four-centred arch. In the E. part there is a partly
restored late 16th-century fireplace. The Vice-principal's room on the second floor has considerable remains
of painted decoration; over the fireplace is the representation of an overmantel of two bays, with coupled
Corinthian columns and oval panels between; it has
been partly restored; over a door N. of the fireplace
is a strap-work panel with birds and flowers; above
the S.E. door is a similar panel, partly repainted; the
exposed framing of the N. wall has also remains of
painted decoration.
The Chapel and Library (Plate 171) were built in
1680–2, the library occupying the first floor of the W.
portion, above the ante-chapel. The W. front is of two
storeys ashlar-faced and finished with a plain plinth,
entablature and panelled parapet; the middle bay is
flanked by tall attached Composite columns supporting
the main entablature and a pediment containing a bellniche; the central doorway has moulded jambs and
elliptical arch all within an architrave with a cartouche
of the arms of the Hall; above the architrave is a curved
pediment resting on two piles of books and a panel
inscribed "Deo opt. max. Capellam hanc sumtu suo,
et Amicorum, posuit Stephanus Penton S.T.B. istius
Aulae Principalis, Anno Domini 1682"; above the
doorway is a window with an architrave and of two
lights with two transoms; the upper side-windows of
the front are of uniform design; the lower windows
have only one transom and are finished with pediments.
The front has been considerably restored. The Chapel
(50 ft. by 20½ ft.) has a modern E. window, replacing
one of four lights with tracery in a semi-circular head.
The side walls are finished with a cornice and have each
two windows, partly restored, and of two transomed
lights in a square head with architrave and apron; the
W. window on the N. has lost its mullion and transom
and is covered by the modern organ-chamber. Internally (Plate 182) the side windows have moulded architraves and the walls have a cornice stopped on either
side of the E. window; the plaster ceiling is of segmental barrel-form.
Fittings—The woodwork is all by Arthur Frogley
and of c. 1682. Bell: inaccessible but said to be of
1658 and cast at Burford by Edward Neale. Communion
Table: with turned legs and shaped brackets to top-rail,
partly restored. Door: In W. doorway, of two panelled
leaves. Paving: of octagonal stone slabs with small
black marble squares between them. Screen (Plate 182):
between the chapel and ante-chapel—is of panelled oak
on the W. and of cedar on the E. face; towards the W.
it is finished with a deep coved cornice with carved
acanthus leaves on the cove; the square-headed central
doorway has enriched mouldings and carved brackets
flanking the head; there are similar brackets against the
side walls; the rest of the screen has bolection-moulded
and fielded panels with a dado-rail, but one panel on
each side is or was open and is fitted with a scrolled
wooden grille. On the E. face the screen is rather
more elaborate and is higher; above the doorway is a
curved pediment and the side-panels are arranged to
agree with the stalls below; the bays flanking the
doorway have side-pilasters with carved pendants of
flowers, etc. and brackets supporting a five-sided projection to form a canopy to the stall below; the doorway is fitted with oak panelled gates with enriched and
pierced upper panels and a ramped top with conventional ribbon-ornament. Stalls: against screen
and side-walls of chapel—twelve stalls of oak against
both side-walls and two on the returns; the two stalls
flanking the entrance have twisted legs, continued above
the seat to support the curved arms; at the back is an
enriched panel; the rest of the stalls are simpler and
have shaped arms and moulded pendants beneath the
ends of the rests; against the side walls the stall-backs
are formed by cedar panelling with bolection-moulded
and inlaid panels and finished with a moulded cornice
below the window-sills; in the middle of each wall is
a wider panel with side-pilasters and a pediment with a
cartouche-of-arms of Robert Partridge on the N. and
Henry Worsley on the S. The cedar panelling is continued round the E. end beyond the stalls, the place of
which is taken by a panelled dado; in the middle of
the E. wall is a slight projection and the middle panel
is surmounted by a curved pediment. The lower
stalls of oak form benches with a continuous moulded
front and scrolled supports at the ends; the bench-ends have triangular tops with pedestals on which
stand enriched vases filled with fruit; the backs of the
benches are panelled.
The staircase-hall to the S. of the ante-chapel contains some re-set 17th-century panelling. In the S.
wall is a high two-centred arch of stone. The fittings
of the Library are mostly modern but the gallery retains
some original turned balusters.
The Building forming the rest of the E. range is of
two storeys with attics and was built probably early in
the 17th century. The windows have been partly
restored and are of the same type as those in the N.
range. Inside the building the staircase is of the 17th
century except for the lowest flight; it has turned
balusters and square newels with ball-finials and
moulded pendants; on the first floor is a much
restored fireplace with moulded jambs and four-centred
head.
The S. Range is entirely modern. In the middle of
the quadrangle is a mediæval well with a modern stone
head.
Condition—Good.