Building record MLI91512 - St Vincent's House, St Vincent's Road, Grantham
Summary
Small country house built c.1868 for Richard Hornsby, a local industrialist.
Type and Period (4)
- COUNTRY HOUSE (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1868 AD to 1922 AD)
- MILITARY HEADQUARTERS (Early 20th Century to Late 20th Century - 1922 AD to 1977 AD)
- LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE (Late 20th Century - 1977 AD to 1990 AD?)
- HOUSE (Late 20th Century to 21st Century - 1990 AD? to 2050 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
Small country house built c.1868 for Richard Hornsby, a local industrialist. The building was taken over by the R.A.F. in 1922, and remained their property until 1977 when it became the District Council headquarters. During the Second World War, the building was used as the headquarters of No. 5 Group, Bomber Command, who controlled the famous 'Dambusters' air raid and others. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {1}
A small Victorian mansion which has had a diverse and interesting history. When Richard Hornsby and family had gained fame and fortune, something much grander than Grantley House (see PRN 37068) was needed, and some of that fortune went into building St Vincent's. The family used it until c.1920. Vacant for some years, it was taken over by the R.A.F. and became the headquarters of the legendary No. 5 Bomber Group, which under such leadership as Harris and Cochrane, the bombing campaigns of the earlier years of the Second World War were planned, including the first 'thousand bomber' raids and the Ruhr dambusting. In 1943, St Vincent's became the headquarters of the USAAF 9th Troop Carrying Command, and was used to plan the airdrops for the Arnhem raid. {2}
Very small portions of the cellar walls were exposed during limited test pitting along the northern elevation of St Vincent's House in October 2010. The works revealed a number of small architectural features laying underneath more recent modifications, including the remains of a blocked arch, brick footings and probable re-used masonry fragments. {3}{4}
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SLI6703 Index: Department of the Environment. 1972. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. SK 93 NW 2/200A (182.167).
- <2> SLI11809 Bibliographic Reference: Peter Stevenson. 2007. Grantham - An Industrial Heritage Trail. pp.26-7.
- <3> SLI15614 Report: Grantham Archaeology Group. 2015. St Vincent's House, St Vincent's Road, Grantham. GAG site code: SVG10.
- <4> SLI15615 Archive: Grantham Archaeology Group. 2015. St Vincent's House, St Vincent's Road, Grantham. LCNCC 2010.52.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 92488 35066 (27m by 22m) Surveyed |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | GRANTHAM, SOUTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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