Thorley Hall

Details

TL 41 NE THORLEY CHURCH LANE (east side) Thorley village

4/12 Thorley Hall

19.10.51

GV II*

House. Late C13/early C14 origin as timberframed aisled hall- house of Gerbergh family now the W wing (RCHM Typescript). Altered and 2 storey, 3-bay, S wing built c.1390-1414. Central chimney and inserted floor built in hall in early C17. Estate plan of 1672/3 (HRO) shows a N cross-wing with kitchen beyond, probably demolished c.1714 when S wing was also altered internally and extended to W for double its length, and main entrance moved to S front. 2 storey rear extension shows in Buckler's drawings of 1834 (HRO). In mid C19, S front and N and E walls of E extension faced in red brick with regular windows, ignoring the higher floor level in E parts of S wing. N end of W hall wing altered to lean to roof. Steep old red tile roofs. W wing plastered with panelled pargetting. Jettied upper floor of gable of cross wing on 4 heavy curved brackets. C18 flush box sash window, with 6/6 panes, on each floor. C19 triple sash window and 4-panel, flush beaded door under flat hood to hall. Large C17, red brick, central chimney at junction of wings with square shafts set diagonally. S front of 2 storeys and 7 windows in C19 red brick with plinth, and segmentl arches to openings. Modillioned cornice shown on Buckler's drawings pre-dates brick facing. Steep tiled roof hipped at E end. Recessed sash windows, narrower on 1st floor with 3/3 panes: 4/4 panes below. Door under wide segmental arch retains early C18 Corinthian channelled pilasters with moulded caps and bases raised on sunk panelled dies but no entablature. 6-panel raised and fielded moulded door with matching 2-panel moulded overdoor and 4-panel reveals. 2 moulded stone steps. Brickwork corbelled out at jetty at SW corner. Structure of aisled hall exposed in room over old kitchen. Decorated central frame of 2-bay aisled hall of c.1300 of outstanding interest. Octagonal arcade posts, moulded capitals, cambered tie beam to nave and mortices for secret notched dovetail lapped joints for straight braces on each face over the aisles and one on W face from post to tie beam. About a century later, the hall was reconstructed with narrow aisles and was converted to a single span by cutting away the posts below the capitals and inserting a tie beam supported by heavy curved braces from the outer walls. The crown post roof then erected over the hall is probably later than that over the 3-bay S wing with its cruciform crown posts and tenonned collars (Bailey and Hutton (1966) 14) but employs the same hollow chamfered cornice and may be nearly contemporary. In the hall the longitudinal arcade plates survive, with heavy square section, face pegged braces in both bays, but the inserted tie beam was cut away in the middle when a 1st floor was inserted in the hall. The fine 3-bay crown post roof of the S wing survives complete in the roofspace, a ceiling having been inserted well below the tie beams. Parlour on Ground foor of this wing lined with early C17 scratch moulded oak panelling with carved interlace top panels. Heavy cross beam with slots for braces now removed. Large brick fireplace in old kitchen and former solar fireplace with wide 3-centred plastered arch survives in 1st floor cupboard in passage.

Interior refitted in early C18 with fine panelled rooms on each floor of S wing. 2-panel doors, face fixed H hinges, moulded cornices, and in some rooms ovolo-moulded panelling, dado rail, brass case locks, panelled window shutters and moulded door architraves. Fine small entrance hall, panelled, with moulded cornice breaking forward over keystones of twin arched openings on N wall, one leading to contemporary dogleg stair with spiral balusters. Small panelled study E of entrance has bolection moulded panel over simple fire surround with moulded shelf.

Of outstanding importance to the development of domestic architecture and timberframing techniques. (RCHM (1911) 220, VCH III (1912) 373-4, RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL4768818844

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

398444

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, A, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1912), 373-4
Bailey, , Hutton, , Crown Post Roofs in Hertfordshire, (1966), 14

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

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