Aldenham House and Stable Block

Details

TQ 19 NE ALDENHAM BUTTERFLY LANE (South side) Elstree

7/23 Aldenham House 1.9.53 and Stable Block

- II*

Former Country House, now school. c.1672 for H.Coghill the Younger. Extended and altered 1785 for R.Hucks the Younger and possibly c.1740 for R.Hucks the Elder. Much enlarged and remodelled 1870-3 for H.H.Gibbs probably by A.Blomfield. Further work in 1883. Flemish bond red brick with stone dressings. Tiled roofs with Welsh slate to front pitches. Originally an L on-plan. 2 storeys and attic. Front: 2:3:2, slightly projecting centre. Ground floor: steps with short balustrades to 1870 loggia addition carefully following C17 model. Ionic pedimented portico to round headed central entrance. Flanking glazing bar sashes, moulded flush frames, egg and dart on lintels. Gauged brick flat arched heads. Plain stone cornice to stone coped parapet. Projecting piers at ends of loggia with urn finials. First floor: central aedicular surround to smaller window in reveal, lugs and pilaster strips to jambs. Flanking 18 pane sashes. Mutule eaves cornice and pediment to central 3 bays. 2 light dormers: 2 segmental heads flanked by 2 pedimental heads. Hipped roof with central valley. Two front ridge stacks, rebuilt in C19 with corbelled out caps. Garden front to right: 2:3:2. 1785 canted bay to centre: stone plinth, keyed stone architraves to centre, flanking stone keys to gauged brick heads. String course at ground floor sill level. Modillioned cornice, balustraded parapet, 4 richly carved urn finials. Flanking bays as at front with brick plinth, plat band separates storeys with lower moulded course. 3 gabled dormers to centre. Rebuilt axial ridge stack to rear. Hipped roof. Attached to rear of garden wing: 1883 1 storey porch with ornate stone dressings, Corinthian pilasters, balustraded parapet with pediment and urn finals to rear. Sundial on extruded stack on original end wall, offsets to C19 cap. Flanking sashes and a segmental headed dormer to left. Original left return from front: 1st floor blind windows. Attached to left of C17 house and projecting forward is 1 storey C18 addition. Ionic Venetian window to front. Balustraded parapet. Further left and further forward is 1870 addition: attached Ionic order of brick pilasters with entasis, stone bases and capitals. Tall casements with lugged architraves surmounted by scroll buttressed panels, frieze and segmental pediment to central window architrave interrupting cornice and balustraded parapet continuing from C18 block. Further left and set back: 1883 clock tower and court room. 2 storeys with sashes, plinth, plat band. 2 Dutch gables that to right interrupted by clock tower which rises from above a cornice and a round headed window in a relieving arch. Small round headed lights in tower with small terracotta twisted colonnettes in reveals. Balustraded stone parapet projects on shaped corbels. Slate roof rises to clock chamber, segmental pediments to each face, ogee dome, weather vane. Inside angle of original L are rambling 2-storey brick extensions of C18 and C19. To rear: an entrance to 1883 dining room, first floor oriel to right. Interior: Hall: richly carved panelling, chimneypiece. Library: C18 doorcases, chimneypiece and ceiling. Chapel: C17 panelling. Dining Room: De Morgan tiles in large fireplace. Further C18 work on ground floor and first floor. Dogleg stair with barley twist balusters. 2 storey C18 service wing extends to rear left. Sashes, keyed flat arched heads. Plat band. Dentilled eaves cornice. Parapet. Leading to stables enclosing a yard. 1785 by Gray and Perry, Builders for R.Hucks the Younger, date on stone. Brick. Tiled roofs. 2:3:2 projecting centre. 2 storeys. Front: ground floor relieving arches over central entrance and flanking lunettes. Stone sills. Plat band. First floor: central Diocletian window with key block, flanking 6 light casements with flat arched heads. Dentilled brick eaves. Pediment with stone blocked blind oculus. Gable end coped parapet. Double ridge. Left return: ground floor round headed windows, first floor relieving arches over sashes, dentilled cornice. To left front a wall projects forward to a stone capped pier with a ball finial. In wall a stone plaque records enlargement of house and outbuildings and addition of tower by H.H.Gibbs 1870-3. Extending to right of main front a low wall surmounted by a balustrade. Further additions to NE are of no special interest. C19 formal garden to E. Remnants of early C20 water gardens to NW. Site formerly known as Wigbournes. (RCHM Typescript: Pevsner 1977: Country Life 22/2/1924: VCH 1923).

Listing NGR: TQ1685196530

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

164070

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1923)
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977)
Country Life in 22 February, (1924)

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 21 Hertfordshire,

End of official list entry

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