The Bury
The Bury, St Paul's Walden Bury
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1307601
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jun-1952
- List Entry Name:
- The Bury
- Statutory Address:
- The Bury, St Paul's Walden Bury
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1307601
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jun-1952
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 08-Feb-1988
- List Entry Name:
- The Bury
- Statutory Address 1:
- The Bury, St Paul's Walden Bury
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 Bury, St Paul's Walden Bury
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Hertfordshire
- District:
- North Hertfordshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- St. Paul's Walden
- National Grid Reference:
- TL 18760 21689
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 29/05/2020
TL 1821
12/186
ST PAUL'S WALDEN
ST PAUL'S WALDEN BURY
The Bury
(formerly listed as St Paul's Walden Bury House)
9.6.52
GV
II*
Country house. Early C18 (Kelly (1914) 232 says c.1740) for Edward Gilbert (1680-1762) who succeeded in 1724 and rebuilt chancel of Parish Church 1727 when he was described as 'of the Bury'.
North facade, interior of north hall and polygonal flanking wings dated '1767' on two rainwater heads, one on south east with 'MB' for Mary Bowes daughter of Edward Gilbert and widow of George Bowes of Gibside, Durham. (Attributed by Pevsner following Peter Leach, to James Paine the elder (1716-1789) who had designed the mausoleum for George Bowes in 1760-1761 and was engaged on Brocket Hall, Herts c.1760-1770).
Large south range 1887 by Castings for Lord Glamis replacing two-storey service wing. West drawing room 1938 by Louis de Soissons. Red brick with stone dressings and slate roofs. C19 parts have red brick with black brick diaper and steep slate roofs. Original three-storeys, five windows wide square house faces north with pitched roof expressed as front pediment.
Contemporary extensive formal woodland garden extends to north with three main alleys radiating from entrance to house in French manner. Front refaced when symmetrical two-storey polygonal wings added to east and west projecting to north, in 1767. Entrance now with east side of irregular two-storey C19 range running southward with three storeys south cross wing terminated at east by a four-storey tower. North front of tuck-pointed red brick with chamfered stone plinth, painted stone plat-band at first floor level across wings and centre, second floor band across centre at level of painted modillioned eaves cornice of wings. Painted cornice and pediment to centre. Recessed sash windows with flat gauged arches, stone sills and plastered reveals. Second floor of three/three panes, first floor windows in centre cut down in early C19 to give nine/nine panes, ground floor of six/six panes with central half-glazed door in triangular pedimented Ionic door case.
Flanking wings have three/three panes similar sash windows to first floor and six/six to ground floor. The canted projection with reserved sides on the north side of both and on the east side of the left hand wing have a central round arched recess with moulded round arched head to sash window with impost blocks and sill extended across the recess and baluster below the opening. Early C18 flush box sash windows with segmental arches survive on west side of main block beyond the projecting wing.
East front has pedimented entrance porch on Tuscan decorated columns and Bowes-Lyon arms in pediment. Projecting gabled part to right hand with oriel lower window in centre. Half-octagonal bay to left hand. Mullioned and transomed leaded windows with flat gauged arches. Parapeted tower has two-storey balustraded oriel. High garden wall with rusticated piers runs S and then W with Tudor-arched gateway.
Interior of north range has segmental decorated plaster vaulted hall occupying the whole of the centre, with apses each end screened by columns in Adamesque manner, with Music Room at west with moulded dado, cornice, damask hung walls, semi-circular bay to north, and fire surround carved with flutes. More elaborate Drawing Room in north east pavilion has semi-circular bays to north, south and east, elaborate plaster work, and chimneypiece following the concave curve of the south bay with tapering pilasters. Ceilings similar to Paine's work at Brocket Hall.
Listing NGR: TL1876021689
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 162979
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1908), 406
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 330
Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 21 Hertfordshire,
Morris, (1980)
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 06-Jun-2026 at 18:28:46.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.