Origins of Rodwell Hall
Rodwell Hall is a Grade II listed mansion on Victoria Road in Trowbridge, built in 1859 for cloth manufacturer Jesse Gouldsmith. The architects, Manners and Gill of Bath, were prominent in the region and also designed Highfield House, another notable home for a Trowbridge cloth magnate. The hall’s architectural style is described as “Gothic Renaissance,” reflecting an awareness of fashionable trends among the wealthy at the time.
The Building
The hall is considered a building of significance due to its architects and its reflection of the architectural tastes of the Victorian nouveau riche. The official Historic England listing for the building initially suggested it was built for a “Mr. Hayward”. However, research from a Trowbridge Civic Society member indicates it was built for Gouldsmith. This claim is supported by a “JHG” monogram on one of the gables. The Gouldsmith family was related to the Devenish family of Weymouth, which is where the hall got its name. He was also in business with a man named Hayward at Salter’s Mill in Trowbridge.
The building was also owned by the wealthy Kemp family. You may have heard of the name used locally as this family owned Kemp and Hewitt Ltd, a woollen cloth company operating out of Innox Mills. The grounds of this house were a statement of Victorian wealth, with grand gardens, water features and unusual architecture. Though the images here are from the 1920’s, they give you a taste of what you might have expected to see had you been attending a garden party here in the Victorian period.
Development of Rodwell Hall
Over the years, the building has undergone changes. An ornate “porte cochere” was added in 1878. It is now divided in to three houses, a lodge and multiple smaller houses built on its former grounds
