Details
TQ 19 NE ALDENHAM ALDENHAM SCHOOL 7/9 School House
- CV II
School buildings including: Old Library and Headmaster's House, 1825 by
W.F.Pococke, extended c.1880; Old Dining Hall, 1842; Dining Hall, 1887-8
by E.H.Martineau and later additions; Tower and School Room, 1864-5 by
A.Mee, extended 1882; all for the Brewer's Company. Stock brick with
stone dressings. Slate roofs. 1825 core with dining halls to E, Tower
and School Room to NW, and Headmaster's House to S, all loosely
Jacobethan. Facing N to inner courtyard: 3 bays of 2 storey 1825 block.
Entrance to left with moulded surround, above a plaque from original
school in decorative surround inscribed 'THIS FFREE GRAMER SCOOLE WA/S
FOUNDED AND FINISHED BY RICHARD PLATT CITIZEN AND BR/EWER OF LONDON
A.D.1597.' Ground floor: 2-light casement and two 6-light stone mullion
and transom casements with ogee moulded surrounds, octagonal leaded
panes. First floor: 2 and 3 lights. Plain parapet. Right return behind
tower to garden: two 2-storey canted bays with a 3rd storey towards
rear. Octagonal paned casements. Plinth, string course below stepped
gable parapets. Blind panels in gables. Attached to left and projecting
into inner courtyard is the Old Dining Hall in plum brick. 2 storeys 4
windows. Ground floor: paired sashes in stone surrounds with moulded and
stopped hoods from a continuous string course. To right a small window
with octagonal leaded panes. First floor; 3 light casements with
octagonal panes, moulded stone surrounds. Gable end: entrance in a
pointed arch, 1 similar window to each floor, parapet. Attached to left
is later Dining Hall: 5 bays, 1 storey. Entrance in gabled porch to
left. Plank door with decorative strap hinges. 4 centred head to outer
arch with square hood mould, carved spandrels with arms and motto.
Datestone in coped gable parapet. To right: four 6 light double chamfered
stone mullion and transom windows, square leaded panes. Central bay is
canted out. 2 stage buttresses. Plinth. String courses with gargoyles
over rainwater pipes. Crenellated parapet. Steeply pitched roof. Gable
end parapets. Right end: large window with 4 centred arched head. 4
lancets broken by a transom. Left end: similar window with 3 lancets. To
left: link to an early C20 Neo-Georgian red and stock brick house: 3
storeys, 5 window front flush frame glazing bar sashes, stone keys to
cambered heads. Stone plat bands. Dentilled cornice to parapet. Left
return linked to rear of Old Dining Hall and 1825 block: 3 storeys,
3 bays. Attached to rear of 1825 block is Headmaster's House of c.1880:
3 storeys and attic. Symmetrical 4 window front. Central entrance in
broad stone porch. 4 centred arched entrance, crenellated parapet raised
at centre with panel holding arms. 2-light leaded pane casements, double
chamfered stone mullioned surrounds. Single lights to central bay in
upper storeys. Crenellated parapet with stepped gable to centre. Left
return: ground floor bay window. Rear or garden front: 2 storey and 1
storey canted bays and an oriel window leading into original block.
Tower and School Rooms are linked to 1825 block to right from inner
courtyard, a small 3 sided yard is formed by 1825 block, Old Dining Hall
and School Rooms. Red and stock brick with cement rendered dressings.
Octagonal tower serves as link. 3 storeys. Entrance to garden with
pointed arched head with heraldic ornament above. Slit windows with hood
moulds. Panelled frieze below a coved cornice with carved heads at
angles. Crenellated parapet. Leaded spire with 4 lucarnes. School Rooms:
2 storeys. 5 bays. Garden front: right hand bay has a 6 light below a 3
light window stepped up to centre. Stopped hood moulds. Panel in stepped
parapet. 4 bays to left project slightly forward: ground floor mullion
and transom windows, moulded surrounds, stopped hood moulds. First
floor similar but simpler. 3 stage buttresses. Stepped parapet. In
central bay a reset stone with carved arms of R.Platt in ornamental
surround and date 1597. To left: 2 bay, 3 storey 1882 extension. Brick
relieving arches over stone mullioned windows. Datestone in extruded
stack with offsets. Angle buttresses. Kneelers to coped gable parapet.
Tall capped stacks. Late C19 extensions to rear. Interior: Dining Hall,
arch braced King Post roof. (Pevsner 1977).
Listing NGR: TQ1574497375
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
164056
Legacy System:
LBS
Sources
Books and journals Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
End of official list entry
Print the official list entry