Cokenach House Including the Wing

Details

BARKWAY COKENACH TL 33 NE 3/10 Cokenach House 27.5.68 including The Wing (formerly listed as Cockenach)

GV II*

Country house with service wing, now 2 dwellings. Fragmentary remains of lodgings range built c.1570 for Sir R. Chester. Main block of 1716 for R. Chester replacing a gatehouse of c.1603. Altered and extended 1833 for Sir W. Clinton. Further altered c.1900 for A. Crossman and c.1925 for D. Crossman. Red brick with stone dressings. Steeply pitched hipped tiled roofs. A long double depth block with later accretions. 2 storeys, attic and cellar. Entrance front 4:3:4, central bays breaking forward slightly and a full 3 storeys high, appearing to reflect earlier gatehouse. 4 bays to right are more widely spaced. Ground floor outer bays and first floor glazing bar sashes with segmental heads, open moulded frames. Fluted and capped keystones, apron panels below first floor windows, dummy windows to right bays. Eaves cornice. Central bays have orange brick dressings, dentilled and moulded brick cornice to upper storey with shorter sashes, parapet with balustraded panels, dentilled stone capping. Ground floor: early C20 addition, 2:3:2 across all but outer bays. Plinth. Ashlar to centre with central entrance, double raised 6 panelled doors, traceried fanlight, festooned architrave, aedicular Ionic doorcase with a broken segmental pediment, flanking tall 4/4 pane sashes with segmental heads, fluted keystones, outer Ionic pilasters. Outer bays of this addition are red brick and set back slightly with sashes as on main block, ashlar pilaster strips at ends, cornice to coped parapet with balustraded panels. Single sashes on returns. Main roof has three 16 pane sashed dormers to each side of central bays, pedimented heads with intermediate segmental pediments. 4 cross axial ridge stacks with stone cornices. Further cross axial stacks on rear roof beyond central valley. Right return is 5 bays, widened to rear in early C19. Ground floor early C19 canted bay window with steps up to French window, flanking and first floor sashes as to front. First floor apron panels, eaves cornice, 2 segmental pedimented dormers. To left is an early C19 1 bay addition, 2 storeys, first floor blind window to front. 2 storey canted bay window on return, recessed sashes with gauged brick flat arched heads. Rainwater head dated 1833. Further left an early C20 1 storey addition with a small sash and steps up to an entrance with a Doric surround. Garden elevation is informally 3:3:2. 3 bays to left built out in 1833, rainwater head with date and WHC, sashes as to front but larger with concealed frames, 2 pedimented dormers. Set back to centre are 3 early C18 bays with first floor sashes as to front, a segmental pedimented dormer. Ground floor: early C20 tetrastyle in antis Ionic verandah, blocking course with arms to centre, rusticated end piers, returns have tiled and key blocked round headed openings with terracotta caps to respond shafts. Coffered soffit with lantern openings. Inner round headed French window, flanking sashes. 2 bays to right are set back further with a rainwater head dated 1716, sashes as to front, 2 pedimented dormers. Interior: extensively remodelled c.1900 and c.1925 with neo-classical details. Large Corinthian entrance hall with slate dot paving. Some C18 fielded panelling in billiard room. Extending to rear left at right angles is early C19 service wing, a rebuilding of C16 lodgings range. Red brick. Hipped slate roof. Inner elevation to garden is 6 bays. 2 storeys. Recessed glazing bar sashes with gauged brick flat arched heads. Stone coped parapet. Towards left and to centre are part glazed doors, first floor right blind opening. 2 bay rear end of service range has glazing bar sashes, 6/9 panes on first floor. Outer elevation is largely plum stock brick. Towards front a 2 bay projection, ground floor sashes with thick glazing bars, first floor canted oriel with tile hanging, 8 light flat headed dormer. 3 bays to left, ground floor has an entrance with double panelled doors and 2 sashes with thick glazing bars all in gauged brick blind arcading, first floor sashes. Further left an early C19 3 x 3 bay square 2 storey block with a hipped slate roof. Elevation to small service yard has a central entrance, double raised 6 panelled door with a fanlight in a C20 pedimented doorcase, first floor central blind opening. Outer recessed sashes with gauged brick flat arched heads. Boxed eaves. Garage addition on left return. Sashes to rear. Plans of the earlier buildings were drawn in 1578 when the house was being considered as a stop on a royal progress. Formerly known as Cockenhatch. (VCH 1914: Pevsner 1977: RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL3956236146

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

162464

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1914)
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977)

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 21 Hertfordshire,

End of official list entry

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