Brocket Hall
BROCKET HALL, MARFORD ROAD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1100987
- Date first listed:
- 06-Feb-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Brocket Hall
- Statutory Address:
- BROCKET HALL, MARFORD ROAD
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2005-07-08
- Reference:
- IOE01/14219/02
- Rights:
- © Mr A. Gude. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1100987
- Date first listed:
- 06-Feb-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Brocket Hall
- Statutory Address 1:
- BROCKET HALL, MARFORD ROAD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- BROCKET HALL, MARFORD ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Hertfordshire
- District:
- Welwyn Hatfield (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Hatfield
- National Grid Reference:
- TL 21408 13036
Details
Lemsford TL 21 SW HATFIELD MARFORD ROAD (north side)
5/172 Brocket Hall
6.2.52
GV I
Large rectangular mansion built by James Paine for Sir Mathew Lamb and his son Sir Penistone Lamb (later Lord Melbourne) c1760 to c1780. Piecemeal reconstruction of an older courtyard house, the staircase filling the courtyard space. Red brick exteriors with some stone dressings. Westmoreland slate roof. 3 storeys, attic and basement. Mostly original glazing bar sash windows. Gauged brick lintels. Continuous stone sill bands and moulded cornice.
9-window entrance front on SW has 3-window slightly projecting centre with raised pedimented attic. Stone Ionic doorcase with three-quarter engaged columns, entablature and pediment. Dressed stone surrounds to centre 1st floor window and to the central ground and first floor windows of the flanking walls. Stone armorial plaque in attic pediment. SW elevation has 1:3:1 window centre, the middle part projecting slightly and having tall, round-headed ground floor windows with three-quarter engaged Ionic columns. Attic to whole centre. At either end are 3- storey canted window bays. NE elevation is 3 storeys only. ABCBA composition. The outer bays have ground and 1st floor Venetian windows and 2nd floor therm windows. 3-storey canted windows to intermediate bays. Centre bay has ground and 1st floor relieving arches to single lights. NW service elevation has plain 3-window projecting centre.
Interior has top-lit staircase hall, the gallery with honeysuckle pattern railings and columns with spiral-fluted lower parts. Alcoves either end with circular and oval saucer domes. Large saloon with gilt coved ceiling. Paintings designed and begun by John Hamilton Mortimer and completed by Wheatley. Library has bookcases by Chippendale and Adam-style ceiling with inset panels by Cipriani. The second Viscount Melbourne lived with his wife Lady Caroline Ponsonby and died here in 1848. Viscount Palmerston died here in 1865 (C.L. 4 and 18.7.25; Pevsner (1977).
Listing NGR: TL2140813036
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 158435
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977)
Country Life in 18 July, (1925)
Country Life in 4 July, (1925)
Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 21 Hertfordshire,
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 11-Jun-2026 at 14:43:18.
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All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.