Details
HERTFORD
TL3213SW BENGEO STREET, Bengeo
817-1/15/273 (East side)
10/02/50 Warrenfield and Warren Park
(Formerly Listed as:
BENGEO STREET
Nos.2 and 2A Warren Park)
II*
Small country house, subdivided into 2 dwellings. 1880 or
earlier with alterations and subdivision in 1970. Red brick
Flemish bond, with stucco dressings, Welsh slated roofs.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys with 3 storeyed turrets. East elevation
has gables with elaborate barge boards left and right. First
floor French windows with iron balconies and stucco
architraves, 4 mullion and transom windows in recessed centre,
2 with gabled roofs above eaves with elaborate barge boards
and with the eaves carried on cut profiled brackets. Ground
floor has projecting mullioned and transomed bay windows left
and right, the latter partly run across a single bay extension
to right. 8 bay loggia in recessed centre, with lean-to Welsh
slated roof, and brick piers with foliated capitals and
terracotta moulded Tudor arches, with modelled foliated
spandrels. Arches with C20 glazed infill.
At left is 2 bay by 3-bay 2-storey south wing, with
castellated parapeted flat roof, stucco quoins, brick plat
band at first-floor level, 2 mullion and transom windows with
stucco architrave surrounds. Ground floor with two 6-panel
doors, upper 4 glazed, with stucco architraves, and circular
lunettes above, with stucco architraves.
Return south elevation has 3 narrow transom windows on first
floor with stucco surrounds, and three 12-pane sashes on
ground floor, recessed in stucco architrave surrounds.
West elevation has numerous gables with elaborate barge boards
and a 3-storey turret with concave profile lead roll roof left
of centre. Former main entrance right of centre has a broad
gabled barge board, with a smaller one set behind at left.
Below, a tall multi-light mullioned and transom window with
semicircular arched inner panel, with leaded lights, small
square panels with painted and stained glass shields and
roundels, a c1870 flat-roofed canopy and glazed screen on
ground floor. Set back at right is the library wing.
The gables with elaborate fretted and pierced wooden barge
boards, giving a chalet appearance, part flat-roofed with
stone coped and castellated parapet. Numerous red brick
chimneys with oversailing brick caps, some with semicircular
stone flue baffles in lieu of pots.
INTERIOR: elaborate eclectic late Victorian house, Warren Park
incorporates the former Library from The Chelsea house of the
Bishops of Winchester, close to Oakley Street, demolished
1828, reputedly designed by the architect William Kent
(1684-1748). The nearly complete mid C18 panelled room was
brought to Hertford c1880. Painted panelled walls with flush
dado, above C19 moulded skirting, dado rail with bead moulding
and carved acanthus, upper panels recessed with egg-and-dart
quadrant moulding; cornice with egg-and-dart band, modillions
and cyma recta moulding. Fireplace has purple marble inner
surround with raised quadrant eared architrave; outer surround
with shell and acanthus band, scrolls with drops and acanthus
leaves, pulvinated frieze with dart cornice shelf above.
Chimneybreast incorporates elaborate carved frame with eared
and shouldered architraves, carved scrollwork above (with a
cartouche showing the episcopal arms) and below, and carved
swags at each side. The frame contains a late C19 copy of a
portrait of the Bishop of Winchester. Window surrounds
panelled, with heavy carved egg-and-dart architraves. 3 doors,
6-panel, with carved egg-and-dart quadrant surrounds, upper
4-panels of 2 south (garden) doors glazed.
East door (internal) has eared architrave with carved acanthus
band, pulvinated frieze with carved oak leaves and cross
bands, cornice and pediment above with egg-and-darts, and
acanthus mouldings.
South doors have architraves without ears, front cornice head
above pulvinated frieze, and glazed lunettes in recessed panel
above. Ceiling, C19 plaster, with bold modelled oval band of
fruit and cross bands moulded spandrel panels.
Drawing Room has ribbed moulded plaster Gothic style ceiling,
with pendants, and chimneypiece with C19 red marble pilaster
surround. These have white marble capitals and central
cartouche, moulded cornice shelf, reset C18 upper mirror panel
with architrave surround, and carved festoons and drops and
drops of fruit in the manner of Grinling Gibbons. Elaborately
carved double cyma recta cornice with lower acanthus band.
Staircase, reputedly brought from Sanctuary House, Ireland
incorporates C18 open string hardwood flights, with carved
bracket treads, 2 iron twist column on vase and 1 column on
vase baluster to each tread with moulded handrail, ramped to
first-floor landing, and C19 square tapered antae newels
surmounted by carved lions sejant holding cartouches, landing
with C19 arcading with Tudor arches, large mullion and transom
window with leaded glass with painted armorial symbols and
crests of Smith, Sawyer, Cozens and Clayton families. C19 oak
panelled walls.
Listing NGR: TL3236913342
