Details
HERTFORD
TL3212NW COWBRIDGE
817-1/16/54 (North side)
Hertford Baptist Church, church hall
and attached railings
GV II
Non-conformist church, and attached hall. 1905-6. Architects
George Baines and Son; Builders F Wood of Luton.
MATERIALS: red engineering brick, laid to Flemish bond with
black pointing, with stone bands, dressings, windows and
cupolas, beneath Welsh slated roof, with step-profile red clay
ridge tiles. Open eaves with cut profiled ends to rafters and
gutters supported on pair wrought-iron scrolls.
STYLE: Perpendicular Gothic revival style with Arts and Crafts
overtones.
PLAN: 'hall' plan, with shallow projection for organ chamber
at north end.
EXTERIOR: gabled south front faces Cowbridge, and has stone
coped gable, with broad 7 light stone window with segmental
head, and trefoil and cinquefoil tracery between mullions.
Attached battered profile octagonal turrets left and right
with stone cupolas, modillioned eaves and low ogee profile
lead roll roofs, and tall iron finials with circlets and
scrollwork tops. Stone band, one of several, immediately below
window and above central projecting porch.
Porch has splayed sides, single-light stone windows, central
doorway with splayed reveals, and roll moulded segmentally
arched head. Multi-panel half-glazed twin leaf doors. Coping
of porch upswept above centre of doorway to enclose
heart-shaped tracery motif of twin mouchettes and circle.
Side elevations (east and west) of 4 bays, 2 northern bays
projecting, with separate gabled roofs. 2 small three-light
and 2 large four-light windows with rectilinear tracery and
four-centred arched heads. Stone bands at sill level and
springing level.
INTERIOR: 'Hall' church with 4 bays, 2 bays 'aisled transepts'
at north. Floor slopes towards curved central communion and
baptismal area and raised pulpit and deacons' seats.
Windows described with exterior, have leaded glazing, with
mainly rectangular panes of obscured glass, with stylised
flowers, foliage, fleur-de-lys, 'S' curves, Arts and Crafts
motifs influenced by Glasgow School, in coloured and obscured
glass. Walls have stained pitch-pine boarded dado, with
moulded rail.
Roof: 2 bays hammer beam trusses, with corbel supports, and
broad arch braces with iron tie rods and wrought-iron scrolls,
3 levels of purlins and plaster between central flat ceiling
with square pierced ventilator panel in each bay. 2 bays
'aisle' transepts, with arch braces carried on corbels,
supported by free-standing central columns, which also
supports hammer beam truss as elsewhere, ridges of 'transept'
roofs. At north end is roll moulded four centred arch carried
on stone capitals with carved oak leaves and acorns above
marble colonnettes and carved stone leaf and flower corbels.
Foyer with stained pitch-pine leaded light glazed screen with
leaf and stylised flower motifs, and double leaf doors with
leaded glazing and cinquefoil heads leading into main church.
Banks of seats curved on plan, separated by two aisles, with
curved returns around sides in broader northern bays. Oak bend
ends with continuous moulding around arm rests and over top,
which has a typical Arts and Crafts 'pierced heart' motif.
Pulpit in centre of communion dais with half-octagonal plan,
oak panelled front with mouchettes and trefoils tracery,
projecting flat top rail between attenuated pilasters which
continue upwards, with indented heart motifs with blue-green
enamel inserts and flattened cyma recta caps. Reading desk
raised on brass brackets. Stairs to pulpit on cut strings with
oak handrail, square brass balusters and foliated scrollwork.
Table and deacons' chairs light oak, moveable, with column
legs - table with panelled ends, chairs with panelled backs.
Choir seats have panelled pine frontal with moulded tracery
cinquefoil heads with plain pierced mouchettes above, and
newels with obelisk tops and embattled surrounds. Organ case
Gothic style, oak panelled with trefoil heads and display
pipework above console. Rebuilt foyer and kitchen to rear of
church is not of special interest. To north-west is attached
contemporary church hall.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: cast-iron railings, with curved braced
supports at intervals, and arches over spearheads and scroll
and spade ties, run around western boundary of site where
Cowbridge turns into Port Hill.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire:
Harmondsworth: 1977-: 186; George Baines & Son: letter,
3/3/14).
Listing NGR: TL3230712856
