Bayfordbury

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 28/05/2020

TL 31 SW
1/27

BAYFORD
LOWER HATFIELD ROAD (South side)
Bayfordbury

20.10.52

GV
II*
Country house. 1759-1762 for Sir William Baker a rich London merchant, altered to present appearance 1809-1812 for William Baker II MP to designs by Francis Aldhouse, leased to Dr. Barnado's after death of Admiral Sir Lewis Clinton-Baker in 1940, sold to John Innes Horticultural Institute 1945, bought by Hertfordshire County Council 1967 and used by Hatfield Polytechnic, for sale in 1985.

Originally red brick house and two separate service pavilions, gaps infilled 1809-1812 and house entirely faced in stucco (Parker's cement). Portland stone porticos and string courses. Low pitched hipped slate roofs in graduated courses hidden by parapets. Upper slope of Mansard roof on each pavilion in copper.

Very long Neo-Classical house set in parkland on the brow of a hill, facing north. Seven windows wide centre part of two-storeys basement and attics is the original house. Symmetrical lofty single-storey links, four windows wide, raised on basements, project slightly to front and rear, and are higher than the two-storeys, five windows wide pavilions, set back at each end from north front. Double-pile plan to centre with a room in each corner, and central projection from entrance hall to stair hall (axial passages going off to east and west) and large saloon with canted projection on south front echoed in its north wall. Service pavilions originally stables (west) and kitchens etc (east). Alterations of c.1812 infilled the west link with the Great Library facing south, two small rooms facing north, and an arcaded and top lit domed passage between. Similar passage in east link with new Dining Room facing south designed to hang the Kit Kat Club portraits (now in National Portrait Gallery, London) in two rows. Two small rooms to north front. The west stable pavilion was appropriated to domestic use and a new stable block built some way to west (q.v.).

Architecturally the transformation is striking. Symmetrical north front with alternating projection and recession of parts. Seven windows middle block has its slight three window central projection repeated in the parapet or high blocking course pierced by three windows in wide segmental recesses. Lower, five windows end pavilions are set back with slight thee windows central projection with triangular pediment and cupola to each (at east end a bell in cupola and clock face in pediment: at west a wind-vane with wind-dial in pediment). The added infill blocks stepping up to centre each project a little to front of main house, continue its base, and have a cornice level continuing that of the outer pavilions which is also continued across the main house at first floor level and breaking forward as a deep single-storey, pedimented, tetrastyle Greek Doric portico, approached by ten steps, with fluted columns and paired columns flanking the centre. Echoing this the infill blocks have tripartite fronts in elongated triumphal arch motif, the centre a tetrastyle Greek Doric screen in antis with wide segmental opening above (with bust) and a central round-headed niche in a recessed wall, flanked by windows. The outer elements are wide niches with windows at the back. Recessed sash windows, with square heads, and six/six panes generally, but three/three in end pavilions.

The garden front simpler with same wide segmental recesses at attic level in main house echoed in wide segmental shallow recess to centre of each three windows infill block. Segmental full height bay to middle of main house and single-storey hexastyle Ionic portico with central flight of eight steps, and upper level extended by railed balcony on short iron columns along front of Great Library and Dining Room, ending in swept stairs down to garden. Unemphasised rear of each pavilion.

Garden front extended by colonnaded conservatory to east and blind colonnading of wall to service yard at west.

Original C18 interiors survive in entrance hall (vigorous plaster ceiling and carved stone chimneypiece in baroque taste, and diagonal chequered black and white marble floor) and small north east room (deep coved ceiling with vigorous plaster work). Heavy mahogany doors general in main house, with egg-and-dart carved enrichment around six fielded panels. Simpler moulded panelled doors in 1812 work. Cantilevered wooden semi-circular staircase with ironwork balustrade rising in toplit, domed, cylindrical shaft to upper landing. Fixed at west end of saloon a large pietra dura table with foliate gilt supports and mirror below. Enriched plaster cornices and moulded architraves skirtings and dados. Polished hardwood plank floors. Egyptian style chimneypiece in red granite for Great Library presented to William Baker II by Robert Fagan British Consul in Palermo after his daughter married Baker's son. Displayed wings motif on crosspiece and opening flanked by two standing male ancient Egyptians acting as caryatids supporting the moulded shelf. Chimneypiece dismantled in north east room when inspected. Also there, are:

(1) a large marble classical plaque of a warrior on a couch with shield, a female seated leaning over kissing his arm, and a male figure in background turning away;
(2) a plaster copy of (1);
(3) two marble stands originally supporting busts in the Great Library;
(4) two carved stone tripods of differing heights.

Enriched moulded window shutters have been re-used on north front at basement level. A collection of small oval relief plaques is set in wall in passage backing onto Great Library within a tripartite arrangement of grey scaglioli columns (unfluted Greek Doric) with central segmental arch.

Listing NGR: TL3153610448

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

160635

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, A, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1912), 419
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 90 91
Country Life in 17 January, (1925), 92-99
Country Life in 24 January, (1925)
Kellys Directory in Hertfordshire, (1914), 50 51

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

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