Ware Library

Details

WARE TOWN

TL3514SE HIGH STREET 829-1/9/129 (South side) 08/05/50 No.87 Ware Library (Formerly Listed as: HIGH STREET No.87)

II*

Former dwelling, now public library. Mid and late C18, with C19 and C20 alterations. Modern extensions at west side and rear, 1979, for Ware Library are not of special interest. First and second floors plum-red brick, with cherry-red dressings, above stuccoed ground floor, painted cill band to first floor windows. Stone modillioned cornice, and brick parapet, with stone coping. Hipped old tiled roof of 3 parallel ridges behind parapet on main building. Parapet ramped upwards at sides to join chimneys on flank walls, red brick with projecting band and cap, with 4 pots. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys. First floor 5 bays with 5 recessed sash windows with glazing bars, in painted reveals, under rubbed flat arches. Ground floor has mid C19 stucco facing, with heavy rustication and moulded cornice, with central porch, having paired Roman Ionic columns and Roman Ionic entablature. Outer ground floor windows flanked by Roman Ionic columns below entablatures. Columns of Portland stone possibly late C19 substitutes for stucco originals. 4 sash windows, recessed, with glazing bars, central door and fanlight in plain surround, bordered by archivolt. Rear elevation has early C19 cast-iron loggia, with pierced supports raising conservatory to first floor level. Rear door, 6 flush panels, with square fanlight and ogee gothic tracery, recessed in fluted surround. Rear French casement windows to main left hand room, with narrow glazed margins and fixed upper lights, with fluted surround. French casements at first floor level, some with decorative painted glass margins with vine pattern, lead into conservatory, which has small paned glazing, fixed light on west, and 3 sliding sashes on south. Sash windows on second floor above almost flush set, with moulded surrounds and exposed boxes, under rubbed flat arches. Lead rainwater head on SE corner of 3 storey building dated 1827 with initials EC, Edward Chuck. 2 storey rear outshoot constructed as kitchen, red brick with machine tiled roof. Ground floor has triple light sash window, with glazing bars, and lantern case in upper part of left hand sash. INTERIOR: the building has features from late C18 to mid C19. The ground floor right hand room has C18 fielded and raised panelling, an elaborate wood cornice with a dentil frieze, and a door surround with moulded architraves, a pulvinated frieze, with dentils and a moulded cornice. The entrance hall has mid C19 segmental quadripartite groined plaster vaulting, with paired consoles at springing line. Doors have architraves removed, and reeded plaster surrounds. The ground floor left hand room has a marble fireplace c1840, a plaster cornice with a honeysuckle frieze and an egg and dart ovolo moulding. A dog-leg newel staircase leads to the first and second floors. Late C18, open string construction, with Tuscan column newels and slender column on vase balusters, 3 to each tread. Moulded ramped handrail. First half landing has window with leaded painted glass, late C19, in style of Morris and Co. First floor front left hand room has mid C19 richly decorated plaster cornice with acanthus frieze and vine pattern. Ceiling rose with vine leaves in roundel. First floor front right hand room has C18 chimneypiece with dentil cornice forming mantelshelf. Rear room, a lavatory, has a dado with raised panels and bolection mouldings, and a sash window with quadrant glazing bars of mid C18 pattern. HISTORICAL NOTE: building stands on the historic site of The Crown Inn, demolished c1765 at which time it housed the Great Bed. The present building represents a fine example of the house of a prosperous maltster, embellished with fashionable decorative features over the years. It was the home of Edward Chuck, and Henry Page, two of the town's most prosperous maltsters. Page's maltings survive in much altered form to the rear, no longer of special interest. (Edwards E and Perman D: Ware's Past In Pictures: Ware: 1991-: 70; Hunt EM: The History of Ware: Hertford: 1986-1946: 111, 164; Smith JT: Hertfordshire Houses. Selective Inventory: London: 1993-: 199; Perman D: Ware UD. List of buildings of special arch or historic interest: 1993-: 36; Ware Tithe Map: 1845-; Ware 25" to 1 Mile. Surveyed by the Ordnance Survey Department: 1851-).

Listing NGR: TL3565214353

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

412365

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Edwards, , Perman, , Wares Past in Pictures, (1991), 70
Hunt, E M, The History of Ware 1986-1946, (1986), 111
Hunt, E M, The History of Ware 1986-1946, (1986), 164
Smith, J T, Hertfordshire Houses Selective Inventory, (1993), 199

End of official list entry

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