Details
HERTFORD
TL3212NE FORE STREET
817-1/17/66 (South side)
10/02/50 No.26
The Salisbury Arms
II*
Inn, now hotel. Early C15, altered and extended early C17
(c1600), mid C17, early C19, mid C20. Timber-framed and
plastered, front with restored late C19 pargeting, restored
C17 pargeting to Church Street. Low-pitched, hipped Welsh
slated upper roof to frontage block above moulded eaves
cornice; steeply- pitched old tile and machine tile roofs to
wings. Tall red brick chimneys, built in Flemish bond, with
square tapered cream terracotta and orange clay pots.
Characteristic inn plan with rear courtyard with entrance
through the east wing from Church Street, and a long west wing
along Bell (formerly Cow) Lane.
EXTERIOR: 3-storey, 3-bay frontage (raised from 2 storeys and
attics early C19), with jettied front (underbuilt early C19)
and sides. First floor has 3 canted oriel bays with
8:12:8-pane sash windows (centre 8:16:8 pane), those at left
and right having curved spandrels below, and lead flat roofs
above shallow moulded cornices, that to centre with canted
spandrel below. Above, ornamental pargeted strapwork panels,
with interlaced initials 'S.A.' at side, and the date '1570'
to centre. Continuation of oriel through second floor with
6:12:6-pane sashes, plain upper spandrel and cornice (part of
main eaves cornice). Flush-set 9-pane sash windows left and
right on second floor. Ground floor, now flush with upper
front beneath original jetty, has recessed triple 3:9:3-pane
sash windows left and right. Central entrance with 8-panelled
twin leaf outer doors, and early C20 curved plate-glazed doors
within.
Left (north) and right (south) flank elevations jettied with
curved bracket tops to dragon posts visible at corners, and
further curved brackets on north elevation below bressumer
level. Irregularly spaces flush-set sash windows on all
floors. Whole of frontage block covered with late C19 panelled
pargeting, with 4 modelled fleur-de-lys in lozenges on first
floor front, and modelled vine and grapes running along
bressumer; plain rendered plinth.
East wing, facing Church Street, of late C15 date. 2 storeys,
2 bays, and jettied, with 2 and 3 coupled C19 sash windows on
first floor, 2 coupled and 3 single sashes on ground floor;
restored C17 pargeting with pattern of quoins at left and
around first floor double sash window, and raised blocks along
bressumer.
Long early C17 west wing faces Bell Lane. 2 storeys and
jettied, with 5 large irregularly spaced flush-set 12-pane
sash windows on first floor, and a C19 mullion and transom
multi-light wood casements on ground floor. West wing jettied
on both sides, incorporating first floor gallery, now closed
in. Courtyard progressively infilled in C19 and early C20, and
large bedroom wing, 2 storeys and attics, old tiled roof, red
brick, sash windows with rubbed brick arches, constructed
along Church Street in 1973-4.
INTERIOR: much altered C19 and C20. Ground floor east bar has
heavy exposed beams, with dragon beam, in ceiling, other
exposed studwork partly late C20 reinstatement. West front bar
has plain late C18/early C19 panelled dado. Chamfered beams
with tongue stops visible in west wing, vestibule has C18
curved bow window looking towards entrance. To east, against
chimney, is mid C17 dogleg stair to first floor, heavy carved
newels with pilasters and rustication, balusters of similar
patterns, chamfered close string and heavy moulded rail, C18
dado with moulded roll rail, early C19 landing with stick
balusters and moulded hardwood rail. First-floor rooms have
heavy chamfered and tongue stopped beams, with a length of C18
wood cornice in middle room. The west wing has a cornice with
triglyphs and exposed heavy beams with chamfer, stop and
concave tongue.
Early C19 newel stair with stick balusters leads to attic
bedrooms within roof structure, which is not accessible.
Cellar with concrete floor and largely C20 brick lining:
medieval stonework reported in earlier list description not
seen.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the Salisbury Arms has always been one of the
most prominent of the historic inns of Hertford. It was
recorded as The Bell in 1431, and took its present name c1830
after purchase by the Marquess of Salisbury. It served as the
Tory headquarters in the notorious 1832 election: the Duncombe
(later Dimsdale) Arms further east in Fore Street was used by
the Whigs, whose candidate was Tom Duncombe.
The building has been substantially altered over the years: a
late C18 engraving by Rowlandson shows a structure with twin
gables and a central attic dormer with Serliana, overhanging
mullion and transom oriels and florid pargeting.
(Victoria History of the Counties of England: Hertfordshire:
London: 1902-1912: 491; Royal Commission on Historical
Monuments (England): An Inventory of the Historical Monuments
of Hertfordshire: London: 1910-: 112; Forrester H:
Timber-framed buildings in Hertford and Ware: Hitchin: 1964-:
7-9; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire:
Harmondsworth: 1977-: 189; Smith JT: English Houses 1200-1800:
The Hertfordshire Evidence: London: 1992-: 151, 171, 173;
Smith JT: Hertfordshire Houses: Selective Inventory: London:
1993-: 83-4; Green L: Hertford's Past in pictures: Ware:
1993-: 96; Branch Johnson W: Hertfordshire Inns, Part II:
Letchworth: 1962-: 65-6).
Listing NGR: TL3277012573
