Jenningsbury

Details

HERTFORD

TL3411 LONDON ROAD
817-1/10/104 (South West side)
Jenningsbury

GV II

Farmhouse, former moated manor, now house. Late C16/early C17,
altered and extended early C20. Timber-framed, plastered,
pebbledashed and colourwashed. Old tile roofs, with gables
above 2 left-hand windows on south elevation. Red brick
chimneys, 1 with external chimney breast on south elevation, 1
similar on west.
PLAN: linear house, possibly originally lobby entry plan, with
6 main bays, and early C20 extensions on north creating
continuous corridor at ground and first floor.
EXTERIOR: service range, kitchen and dairy on north west of 2
storeys; north west wing single storey with attics. First
floor, south elevation has 6 small-paned wood casement
windows, two 3-light at left, three 1- and 2-light in centre,
and one 2-light right of external chimneybreast. Late C20
timber studded gabled porch with brick base and old tiled roof
in centre, early C20 4-light wood casement bay window with
flat roof to left, and 3-light casement far left. Substantial
external chimneybreast to right, and one 2-light casement far
right.
Recessed centre of rear (north) elevation has early C20
modillion cornice to eaves, and projecting flat-roofed rear
porch on ground floor with similar cornice; north-west wing
recently extended above former dairy on ground floor.
Scattered fenestration of small-paned wood casements on
subsidiary elevations, with early C20 exposed studding in main
gable ends.
INTERIOR: much altered but timber-framed structure exposed in
several rooms. South-east room, present kitchen, has central
chamfered beam with mortices for studs, now cut away,
subdividing into 2 service rooms, plate in rear wall shows
mortice for studwork of rear wall. Main beams chamfered with
tongue stops. First-floor landing has post with cut off ball
to former tie beam, now replaced with cased steel joist, tie
beam truss against fireplace in central bedroom with 1 brace
still in situ; south east bedroom ceiled at collar level and
has C19 cast-iron grate with paterae, north-east bedroom has
early C20 Art Nouvea pattern cast-iron grate.
Roof of halved and pegged rafters, with some substitution of
C20 sawn timber, clasped purlins above principal collars,
rafters with carpenters' marks.


HISTORICAL NOTE: Jenningsbury is recorded as a moated
homestead, with much of the moat still extant enclosing 4
acres, with the former manor farmhouse and yard in the centre.
The manor was held by the Earl of Pembroke in 1303, the
Gardiner family in C16, succeeded by the Dunsters who held it
until 1791, when the farm was sold to George Townshend, Earl
of Leicester, to become the home farm for Balls Park, and the
Faudel-Phillips. The north-east elevation indicates the
provenance of the early C20 alterations.
To the north of the house is a long red brick garden wall
listed separately, (qv).
(Victoria History of the Counties of England: Hertfordshire:
London: 1902-1912: 410-1; Royal Commission on Historical
Monuments (England): An Inventory of the Historical Monuments
of Hertfordshire: London: 1910-: 113).

Listing NGR: TL3414411972

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

461368

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1902), 410-411

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

End of official list entry

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