Maydencroft Manor

Details

ST IPPOLLITTS MAYDENCROFT LANE TL 1827 (North side) Gosmore

8/56 Maydencroft Manor 9.6.52 (formerly listed as Maydencroft Farmhouse)

GV II*

House. Late medieval former open hall house in E part of N wing, C16 E wing possibly built as a separate house, united and hall floored over early C17 ('EC/1615' on oak pillar supporting inserted floor), later in C17 originally unheated block to W of hall, subsequently kitchen added to N wing, gabled stair turret on E side of E wing, and L-shaped lean-to service room in NE angle of kitchen and hall. Interior features of early C18 and some brick casing. Renovated 1980-81. Timber frame on red brick sill, frame exposed with plaster infill panels in E wing and W gable of N wing, roughcast 1st floor of N wing, red brick casing to ground floor of N wing and lower buildings to N of N wing. Steep old red tile roofs. A large 2-storeys house on a moated site with 2 long wings joined at right-angles and 1 1/2-storeys service wing extending to N of N wing. N wing faces S, and E wing faces W with entrance near junction with N wing and jettied S gable end. Irregular fenestration with 3-lights C16 leaded casement windows (one of 4 lights to hall and C19 casements each of 6-lights to jettied S end of E wing. N wing has 3 windows to each floor on S front. E wing has 4 windows to 1st floor and 3 to ground floor, that to left of door an early C17 4-lights ovolo moulded mullioned window moved here from kitchen wing on N. Battened oak door in old hollow chamfered doorway with 4-centred head. Similar blocked door at S end of this W front noted in works in 1965. Front shows 4 structural bays. Entrance into N bay with stair projection to rear. Late C17 cut-string stair with barley-sugar twist balusters, panelled newells all lit by large 9-lights mullioned and transomed window. Large 3-bays room to S has chamfered cross-beams supported by brackets on the bay-posts, early C18 panelling with dado and cornice, large open fireplace in middle of rear (E) wall but indications that the S end bay may originally have been partitioned off. Large projecting rear wall chimney of flint and clunch with 2 diagonal brick shafts. Bolection moulded marble fire surround added in C20. Similar large rear wall chimney on N side of hall in E part of N wing has 3 diagonal shafts and 4-centred fireplace now blocked on 1st floor. The medieval hall was of one bay with a narrow screens passage bay to W the whole forming a square plan with smoke blackened clasped-purlin roof. E wall of hall removed and room extended to E with stone floor and Doric column dated 1615 on line of former hall wall. Convex curved tension braces, heavy jowled posts, and long curved braces to tie-beam in hall bay. Later W block has edge-halved scarf joint with bridled butts in rear wallplate. Added rearwall chimney to heat W room. Kitchen to N originally open to roof has large internal chimney with oven to rear (N) and lobby entrance from W. 2 gabled dormers at eaves and 4-lights casement window to ground floor. (RCHM (1911)130 no. 2: VCH (1912)25: Pevsner (1977)148: RCHM Typescript: inf Mrs. Rance, and the owners).

Listing NGR: TL1818927421

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

162668

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, A, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1912), 25
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 148

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

End of official list entry

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