Rowney House Rowney Priory

ROWNEY HOUSE, ROWNEY LANE

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1102226
Date first listed:
04-Dec-1951
List Entry Name:
Rowney House Rowney Priory
Statutory Address:
ROWNEY HOUSE, ROWNEY LANE

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Location

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1102226
Date first listed:
04-Dec-1951
Date of most recent amendment:
24-Jan-1984
List Entry Name:
Rowney House Rowney Priory
Statutory Address 1:
ROWNEY HOUSE, ROWNEY LANE
Statutory Address 2:
ROWNEY PRIORY, ROWNEY LANE

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:
ROWNEY HOUSE, ROWNEY LANE
Statutory Address:
ROWNEY PRIORY, ROWNEY LANE

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

County:
Hertfordshire
District:
East Hertfordshire (District Authority)
Parish:
Little Munden
National Grid Reference:
TL 34735 20245

Details

Potters Green TL 32 SW LITTLE MUNDEN ROWNEY LANE (south side)

4/21 Rowney Priory and Rowney House (formerly listed as 4.12.51 Rowney Priory under Civil Parish of Great Munden)

- II

Country house, now 2 houses. Mid C19, said to incorporate fabric of a Benedictine nunnery founded in 1164 by Conan, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond, reduced to a Chantry after 1457 and confiscated by the Crown 1548. Knapped flint with white brick quoins and dressings. Flint and stone arcaded screen and open porch at front. Steep old red tile roofs. 2 storeys and attics, H-shaped house facing E. Projecting gabled wings with oversailing boarded verges and recessed sash windows in moulded frames and chamfered square headed openings with moulded labels. Tall red brick central chimneys with diagonally set-square shafts. Centre screened by castellated 3-bay, 4-centred arched screen each side of square open porch with low pitched stone gable. A narrow and a wider gabled and corbelled dormer oriel flank the porch with a circular armorial window between. 4-light moulded mullioned and transomed leaded windows behind the screen flanking a half-glazed Gothick oak panelled door in a Tudor arched opening with deep reveals. Moulded cross-windows with leaded lights to left hand wing. 3 windows wide symmetrical garden front on E has 2-light cross window flanked by 3-light pilastered sash windows with round headed lights. Central French doors up 2 steps flanked by stone and flint embattled canted bays with moulded cross windows. Red tiled timber arcaded small cloister to right hand behind brick and flint screen wall to forecourt. Projecting 2-storeys range at rear with 10-light ovolo stone mullioned window over Tudor arched loggia and 6-light similar window. NW service wing projects to rear, of flint and brick with sash windows. N wing now named Rowney House. The house has a good contemporary interior with striking staircase in Jacobean style. Oak panelled room with chimney piece, Delft tiles, and small Ionic caryatids in Flemish style in Rowney House. (RCHM (1911) 104, 6: VCH (1912) 127-8: Pevsner (1977) 153).

Listing NGR: TL3473520245

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
161338
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, A, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1912), 127-8
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 153

Other
Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Hertfordshire, (1910)

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 Rowney House Rowney Priory

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 17:31:55.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

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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