7, BLUECOAT AVENUE

Details

HERTFORD

TL3212NE BLUECOAT AVENUE
817-1/17/9 (East side)
No.7

GV II

Former dormitory house to Christ's Hospital School (one of 8
identical blocks), now offices. 1904-6, with late C20
alterations. Architect Alexander Stenning, contractor Sabey
and Co, Islington. Red brick, laid to Flemish bond with
Portland stone dressings, machine tiled roofs with lead roll
hips and ridges, red brick chimneys with stone bands and
cornice.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, with second floor partly in roof as
semi-attic. Square block plan with long rectangular projection
for open dormitories. Queen Anne style; 3 bay west facade to
Bluecoat Avenue, red brick plinth and walls, with stone
rusticated quoins and plat bands at first and second-floor
level. 3 windows, wood sashes with glazing bars set back in
reveals, on ground and first floors with red rubbed brick flat
arches and projecting stone key blocks. Moulded stone sills,
and projecting brick aprons with shallow ogee profile lower
margins, beneath all windows of front elevation. Wood
modillion eaves cornice broken by second-floor windows which
have shallow lead covered pedimented dormer roofs, outer
triangular, central segmental. Doors in central bay modern
twin leaf with raised fielded panels and blank fanlights,
recessed in opening with red brick flat arch and stone key
block. Cast-iron rainwater heads, initialled 'CH' (Christ's
Hospital) '1904', with rectangular rainwater pipes on bay
lines.
South elevation has twin projecting bay windows with 2 sash
windows with rubbed brick arches and brick key blocks,
separated by central pier, moulded stone cap. To first floor 1
sash window left and right, second floor semi-dormers with
paired sashes, with triangular pedimented roofs. Ground floor
centre recessed between bays. Originally with narrow windows,
now widened to form subsidiary entrance, with modern twin leaf
doors. At landing level there is a moulded stone band forming
the sill of a tall window with moulded stone surround and
semicircular arched head, with moulded console key block.
At landing level intermediate between first and second floors
is a stone panelled spandrel, with twin recessed, raised and
carved cartouches, with scrollwork and fruit, with the date
'19' and '04'. Leaded glazing with obscured quarries, some
with fleur-de-lys. To the right the setback tail of the


dormitories, 4 bays, paired sashes on all floors, with
pedimented dormers. Chimneybreast and chimneystack in centre.
Ground floor projecting canted chimneybreast with stone
pulvinated frieze, cornice and stone modelled cap, with ogee
profile. In centre is recessed rectangular panel, with raised
carved scrollwork and shield with the arms of the City of
London. Above stone band, chimney continues as a shallow
projection to first and second floors. Above eaves cornice,
brick stack with twin blank arch recesses, moulded stone band
and cornice. Rear elevation faces east, single bay.
North elevation repeats central chimney detail from south
elevation. Single projecting rectangular bay on ground floor.
Nos 7 and 8 are linked at ground floor by a single storey
flat-roofed block, red brick with a parapet incorporating
reclaimed copings.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Christ's Hospital, founded in the reign of
Edward VI moved to Hertford and Ware following destruction of
its premises in the City of London in the Great Fire of 1666.
The Hertford premises were rebuilt in 1685 as twin terraces of
dormitories facing each other across a central yard. The
school was rebuilt 1904-6, when the 8 dormitory houses were
constructed, and officially opened by TRH Prince and Princess
of Wales (later King George V and Queen Mary) during their
visit to Hertford in July 1906. The new school had been
designed to accommodate girls only, the boys' school having
moved to Horsham in Sussex. The girls school remained in
operation until 1984, when it was also moved to Horsham. The
Christ's Hospital site was partly redeveloped, west of Mill
Road, which was cut through east of the dormitory courtyard,
and the dormitory blocks changed to office use, with some
subdivision of the interiors.
The dormitory blocks have group value with each other, and
with the remainder of the buildings of the former Christ's
Hospital School.
(Turnor L: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1830-: 323-331;
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-: 113-4; Hope Bagenal: The
Georgian and Post Georgian Buildings of Hertford: 1929-:
10-11; Hertfordshire Countryside: Morrison J: Bluecoats in
Hertfordshire: Letchworth: 1946-1954: 62-3; The Buildings of
England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire: Harmondsworth: 1977-: 188;
Page FM: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1993-:
58,59,97,122,125-6; Felstead A: Directory of British
Architects 1834-1900: London: 1993-: 872).



Listing NGR: TL3299412784

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

461258

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1902), 491
Page, F M, History of Hertford, (1993), 58 59 97
Page, F M, History of Hertford, (1993), 122 125-6
Felstead, A, Directory of British Architects 1834-1900, (1993), 872
Bagenal, H, The Georgian and Post Georgian Buildings of Hertford, (1929), 10-11
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 188
Turnor, L, History of Hertford, (1830), 323-331
Hertfordshire Countryside in Hertfordshire Countryside, (1946-1954), 62-63

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

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