The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East

The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East, Gaddesden Row

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1101260
Date first listed:
22-Oct-1952
List Entry Name:
The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East
Statutory Address:
The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East, Gaddesden Row

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Date:
2005-06-22
Reference:
IOE01/13496/22
Rights:
© Mr Anthony Sidell. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1101260
Date first listed:
22-Oct-1952
Date of most recent amendment:
19-Mar-1987
List Entry Name:
The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East
Statutory Address 1:
The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East, Gaddesden Row

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East, Gaddesden Row

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Hertfordshire
District:
Dacorum (District Authority)
Parish:
Great Gaddesden
National Grid Reference:
TL0505212525

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 28 May 2025 to correct a typo in the name and address and to reformat the text to current standards

TL 01 SE
4/94

GREAT GADDESDEN
GADDESDEN ROW (South side)
The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East

(Formerly listed as Golden Parsonage)

22.10.52

GV
II*

Country house and attached garden walls. 1705 date (formerly on windvane over entrance: VCH (1908)205) for Thomas Halsey formerly adjoining older house to South East pulled down c.1774, altered c.1760 and in early C19, North West wing dated 1874 on terra cotta panel with crest. Garden walls C18 or earlier. Extensive interior alterations by Waring and Gillows c.1935 (before and after photos in NMR).

Very high quality red brickwork in header bond with gauged and moulded dressings to main house. Low pitched roofs concealed by parapets, slate roof to 1874 block, tiled roofs to North extensions. A large two-storeys square block with giant order grey brick pilasters of Roman Doric clasping each corner with corner entablature, cornice continuous around block surmounted by a moulded parapet. Similar pilaster in middle of six windows East elevation.

More elaborate five-windows South elevation has triglyphs in parapet over each window, stepped keystones, and brick aprons to first floor windows. Plainer four windows Westfront has projecting central brick porch remodelled c.1935 and no keystones to windows. Recessed tall segmental arched sash windows with 9/9 or 6/6 panes, with corbelled sills on East front and cut down to ground on South front. Triple sash window replaces two ground floor windows on East front.

Two-storeys North West wing with two windows to each floor copying those of house, and half octagonal ground floor bay in middle with slate roof. Steep roofed North extension has arcaded loggia to front and tower with blunt pyrammidal roof.

Interior and staircase in early C18 style largely created in c.1935, but incorporates some adapted bolection moulded panelling, some panelled doors of c.1600 with cockspur hinges, and a fireplace with green Wedgewood plaques inset moved here from a demolished pavillion of Gaddesden Place (q.v.) by James Wyatt. White marble fire surround in Dining Room with Ionic pilasters, full entablature and centre block. Roof structure of great interest showing wide-span C18 timber engineering using 12" square oak or chestnut timbers, king-posts, queen-posts, cross-bracing, and painted inscription presumably by carpenter, 'Jo Grove Sept 19: 1766', on one truss. There is an inscription beside the entrance porch outside 'SL 1766'.

Extensive service buildings linked to North East-facing arm of tall garden walls has near South end blocked windows on two storey-levels with flat gauged arches and blocked doorways as if part of the demolished older house. The North part of this wall has very tall, narrow, close-set, blocked windows as if for an orangery, and the walling between has later, blocked, wider windows of C19 character, some intersecting the older blocked windows. (VCH (1908)204-5: Pevsner (1977)151-2: RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL0505212525

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
157873
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1908), 204-5
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 151-2

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of The Golden Parsonage and garden walls attached on North-East

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 24-Jun-2026 at 20:35:07.

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End of official list entry

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.

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