The Old Pest House
THE OLD PEST HOUSE, BYDE STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1268981
- Date first listed:
- 12-Apr-1973
- List Entry Name:
- The Old Pest House
- Statutory Address:
- THE OLD PEST HOUSE, BYDE STREET
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-04-17
- Reference:
- IOE01/10388/34
- Rights:
- © Mr A. Gude. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1268981
- Date first listed:
- 12-Apr-1973
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 09-Sept-1996
- List Entry Name:
- The Old Pest House
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE OLD PEST HOUSE, BYDE STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- THE OLD PEST HOUSE, BYDE STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Hertfordshire
- District:
- East Hertfordshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Hertford
- National Grid Reference:
- TL 32091 13227
Details
HERTFORD
TL3213SW BYDE STREET, Bengeo
817-1/15/275 (West side)
12/04/73 The Old Pest House
(Formerly Listed as:
FARQUHAR STREET
The Pest House)
II
House, built as isolation hospital. Mid C18, altered and
embellished late C19. Red brick, Flemish bond, old tiled roof
with brick parapeted ends, and half Dutch gables at rear.
Elaborate brick chimneystacks left and right with moulded
bands and oversailing caps. Central raised tilehung
flat-roofed rear extension above lower slope of low swept-slip
roof.
EXTERIOR: first floor has outer 3-light, centre 2-light
small-panel iron casement windows with projecting frames and
moulded embattled heads raised on cut profiled corner
brackets. Plat band at first-floor level. Ground floor has 2
projecting moulded mullion and transom oriel bays with
small-paned iron casements, below old tile lean-to roofs, with
curved plastered spandrels below. Central 9-panel hardwood
door, upper 3-panels glazed with leaded light, with tiled
open-gabled and lean-to hood raised on braced brackets. Small
projecting windows on north gable, modern hip-roofed on south.
3 attic dormers at front with small-panel iron casements,
outer 2 with half-hipped, centre with hipped roof.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the Old Pest House was built in 1763 as an
isolation hospital against smallpox by Thomas Dimsdale
(1712-1800) who lived at Port Hill House (qv), and the plot
adjoined his garden. Dimsdale purchased an extensive estate in
the area. Port Hill House was known as 'The Inoculation
House'.
(Turnor L: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1830-: 166-9; Green
L: Hertford's Past in Pictures: Ware: 1993-: 39, 162; Page FM:
History of Hertford: Hertford: 1993-: 118-120; Hertfordshire
Countryside: Roberts E: Thomas Dimsdale and the Victory over
Smallpox: -1980: 20-1).
Listing NGR: TL3209113227
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 461273
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Page, F M, History of Hertford, (1993), 118-120
Green, L, Hertfords Past in Pictures, (1993), 39 162
Turnor, L, History of Hertford, (1830), 166-169
Hertfordshire Countryside in Hertfordshire Countryside, (1980), 20-21
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 13-Jun-2026 at 19:50:19.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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