Details
WARE TOWN
TL3514NE THUNDERCOURT
829-1/7/169 (South side)
08/05/50 Nos.1-6 (consec) Thunder Hall and
boundary wall to Wadesmill Road
(Formerly Listed as:
THE BOURNE
Thunder Hall)
II
Formerly known as: Thunder Hall WADESMILL ROAD.
House, now subdivided. Late C17, extended C18, altered and
extended C19, converted to flats 1972. Architect John
Snellgrove Associates, Architect for 1850-52 remodelling,
George Godwin. South block late C17, stucco-faced brick, old
tiled roof, with moulded parapeted gable ends and central
attic, with parapeted gable containing one sash window, with
glazing bars beneath moulded stucco dripmould, red brick
chimneystack with 4 clustered octagonal shafts, connected by
oversailing cap.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attics, central projection 1:1:1 sash
windows with glazing bars under dripmoulds on south elevation.
North wing C18, altered mid C19, red brick, old tiled roof
with lead hips. North elevation with 2 tall sash windows on
first floor with glazing bars, under rubbed flat arches,
dentil cornice, lean-to at left and French casement windows at
right beneath segmental arch on ground floor. Mid C19
remodelling included rendered pinnacles, with corbelled bases,
and moulded ogee caps added to north elevation, mullioned
casement windows with stucco dripmoulds and modelled head, on
ground floor, and above first floor windows of east elevation,
and moulded band at first floor cill level. To south and east,
Godwin added single storey stucco-faced cloisters with Tudor
arches, with dripmoulds, buttresses and a panelled parapet
with cusped quatrefoil ornament, and arched 2 light windows on
south, leading to tall carriageway arch with twin leaf
panelled doors, beneath a Tudor arch with dripmould above.
INTERIOR: half glazed entrance door in Tudor arch leads from
north of cloister, to entrance hall of house which has C19
panelling. C19 bracket stair with moulded handrail leads to
first floor, and continues as late C17 close string open well
newel staircase, with bobbin balusters and moulded handrail,
to second floor attics. Fireplace in south-east room on ground
floor contains mid C19 arched fireplace, with marble tablet
inscribed `This marble from the room in which the Emperor
Napoleon died was brought from St Helena by Capt. Amb. Fred.
Proctor, AD 1833'.
Grounds and land to north altered by modern residential
development of Thundercourt in early 1970s, extinguishing
original road access from The Bourne. Boundary wall to
Wadesmill Road partly in red and yellow Hitch patent
brickwork, with Hitch coping bricks.
(Edwards E and Perman D: Ware's Past In Pictures: Ware: 1991-:
17; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N (rev. Cherry B):
Hertfordshire: Harmondsworth: 1977-: 380; Royal Commission on
Historical Monuments (England): An Inventory of the Historical
Monuments in Hertfordshire: London: 1910-: 230; Perman D: Ware
UD. List of buildings of special arch or historic interest:
1993-: 14; Ware Tithe Map: 1845-; Ware 25" to 1 Mile.
Surveyed by the Ordnance Survey Department: 1851-).
Listing NGR: TL3562214761
