The Old Vicarage

Details

HERTFORD

TL3212NE CHURCH STREET 817-1/17/43 (West side) 12/04/73 No.8 The Old Vicarage

GV II*

House, formerly vicarage to All Saints Church, Queen's Road (qv). C15, with C17 rebuilding, C18 and C19 alterations, Timber-framed and stuccoed, machine tiled roof with wave profile cut bargeboards and fascias to front, red brick chimneys with tall orange clay pots. Hall with cross wings plan, though only south cross wing is of evident C15 date, the remainder of visible fabric being of C17 and C18 date; north cross wing has lobby entry plan. EXTERIOR: front elevation has projecting gabled cross wings left and right with 2-storey mullion and transom bay windows having leaded light glazing, lead covered roofs and stuccoed spandrels. Recessed centre with central 3-light wood casement having divided glazing and projecting architrave surround with cut consoles below ends of sill. Ground floor has similar 2-light windows left and right, and central doorway with 7 panel door within moulded surrounds incorporating slim top panel bearing the date '1631', set in early C18 architrave surround with pediment supported on cut profiled consoles. Left-hand (south) flank elevation first floor has 2 paired mid C19 flush-set sashes with divided glazing, left and right, and central 2-light casement. Ground floor has mid C19 conservatory at left, 2-light casement at right matching sash above, and central twin leaf doors with three quarter margin glazing and panel below with cornice hood raised on consoles. Right-hand (north) flank elevation has 2-storey canted bay with mullion and transom window with ovolo mouldings on first floor, now with plain and divided glazing, and modern wood casement with leaded glazing on ground floor; projecting gable above. INTERIOR: hall of 2 bay width with arched fireplace on south wall, central beam with chamfer, roll and ogee tongue stop, 6-panel doors in broad architrave surrounds. South ground floor room of 2 bays with heavy section beams carrying remains of chevron and circle painted decoration. These beams were originally jettied to east with mortices for brackets in middle binder. Dining room to north of hall has fireplace on cross wall and cyma pattern wood cornice, and a cross beam with chamfer, roll and tongue stop. Stair hall built to west of entrance hall early C18. Stair

with Tuscan column newel, open string, column on vase on bobbin balusters and moulded handrail. Dado with rail matching ramped profile of stair rail. Early C18 quadrant bar landing window, bold coved cornice. North stair alongside chimneystack has newels with ball finials, long column on combined urn/bobbin balusters and moulded handrail. South crosswing roof has 2 bay crown post structure, ceiling raised above tie beams in rooms above hall c1950, purlin roof over centre and north cross wing. Cellar below entrance hall has red brick walls. HISTORICAL NOTE: the building remained church property until 1760. (Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England): An Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Hertfordshire: London: 1910-: 111-12; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire: Harmondsworth: 1977-: 190; Smith JT: Hertfordshire Houses: Selective Inventory: London: 1993-: 83).

Listing NGR: TL3269412501

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

461290

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Smith, J T, English Houses 1200-1800 The Hertfordshire Evidence, (1994), 83
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 190

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

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