Details
HERTFORD
TL3212NE BULL PLAIN
817-1/17/21 (East side)
10/02/50 Lombard House
GV II*
House, now club, set back within garden at head of Bull Plain.
C15, extended early C17, refronted C18. repaired 1980s after
fire.
MATERIALS: timber-framed and plastered above brick base on
north elevation; south front red brick, Flemish bond; old
tiled roofs hipped behind tall parapet with stone coping on
south side.
PLAN: hall plan with 2 cross wings, first floor inserted, and
house extended to rear, oversailing river.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, attics and basement. Front (south)
elevation has irregular 7-bay fenestration reflecting earlier
structural subdivisions; first floor 2 closely spaced tall
flush-set 12-pane sash windows at left, shallow break back in
elevation, then 2 slightly recessed, squatter 12-pane sashes,
single bay break forward with one 12-pane sash, break back
with 2 widely spaced 12-pane sashes at lower level. All
windows beneath rubbed brick segmental arches, with flat tops
below projecting plat band, and panelled blind recesses in
parapet above corresponding to spacing of windows below.
Ground floor has similar fenestration but uniform 12-pane
sashes, isolated segmental arch at right with brickwork below
indicates blocked void; plat band immediately above arches;
projecting plinth below sill level, rendered to left of porch.
Projecting early C20 porch covers central bay; timber-framed
with lattice-glazed sidelights, moulded arcading around
doorway, frieze with consoles, hipped lead roll roof. C18
brick and weatherboarded, pantile-roofed single storey lean-to
at far right (east).
Left side (west) elevation to street frontage approaching the
Folly bridge has jettied corner where the brick front abuts
the late C19 plastered and pebbledashed flank. First floor has
mullion and transom window in partly rebuilt extended
chimneybreast, remainder of elevation plastered above
brickwork.
Rear (north) elevation rises sheer from the river with
colourwashed brick retaining wall, and first floor and attics
jettied out. Irregular fenestration; first floor with four 18
pane Yorkshire sashes; 3 wood casements in central gabled
attic bays; modern 3-light casement with glazing bars below
jetty at left, and small altered ground floor and basement
casements centre and right.
Roof: 3 gabled casement dormers, gabled at rear - low gable at
left, 3 tall narrow central gables, and broad gable at right;
3 and 2 shafted brick chimneystacks with band and oversailing
courses (early C20 rebuild) to rear of front roof, tall red
brick stack with band and oversailing course (early C20 shaft
rebuilt on C17 English Bond external chimneybreast).
INTERIOR: much altered, but retains C15, C17 and later
features. Right-hand (east) cross wing has a 2 bay structure,
with central cambered tie beam, with remains of heavy arch
bracing, and partly exposed crown post roof, with fore and aft
bracing; first floor originally jettied but now underbuilt
with C18 brick front. Ground floor opened out into single
space, has central fireplace on rear wall, with Mannerist
early/mid C17 surround, with squat Tuscan pilasters, with
flutes bead-filled, planted carved grotesque heads, shelf with
carved elongated egg-and-dart nosing and overmantel with 3
richly carved consoles with cloven feet, fruit swags and
griffins heads, with square raised and fielded panels with
carved painted and gilded shield of arms. Some early C17
panelling and a fragment of early C18 bolection moulded
panelling. Former left-hand (west) room has restored brick
fireplace on outer (west) wall with flat 4 centred arch with
moulded extrados and jambs. Staircase behind fireplace in west
wing has stick balusters and simple moulded handrail.
First floor has late C17/early C18 panelling, and roll moulded
cornice, in Chauncy Room, created by insertion of intermediate
floor in former open hall. Mid C17 fire surround with Tuscan
pilasters with fielded and raised panels, on plinths with
raised lozenges; above fire are 2 panels with relief-carved
foliated pilasters, arches and spandrels. At left (west) the
Billiard Room occupies the first floor of the cross wing.
Plain late C17 fire surround on west wall with shelf on
quadrant moulding and overmantel with recessed squares and
'L's with bolection surrounds - similar panelling, possibly
reset, below C19 window to right of fireplace. Crown post roof
above ceiling truncated at front.
Extensive attics now used only for storage; central roof
structures partly visible indicate substantial rebuilding of
former central range in creation of first floor and
refronting, front dormers below purlin level of front slope.
Moulded brick band around rear of main stack appears to
indicate that it predates construction of the central
outshoots overhanging the river. A length of C17 railing with
turned column and bobbin balusters appears to be from the
landing of a staircase now removed: in the easternmost attic
the top portion of a stair alongside the chimneystack is
visible but cut and blocked off below.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Lombard House was the home of Sir Henry
Chauncy (d.1700), lawyer, Steward of the Borough, and
subsequently Recorder under the Charter of 1681, and historian
of Hertfordshire. The property was also known as 'Malloryes',
and was used as a judges' residence during C18.
(Turnor L: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1830-: 283-5, 402-5;
Victoria History of the Counties of England: Hertfordshire:
London: 1902-1912; Royal Commission on Historical Monuments
(England): An Inventory of the Historical Monuments of
Hertfordshire: London: 1910-: 112; East Herts Archaeological
Society Newsletter: Lombard House: Hertford: 1949-1965;
Forrester H: Timber-framed buildings in Hertford and Ware:
Hitchin: 1964-: 14-16; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N:
Hertfordshire: Harmondsworth: 1977-: 190; Green L: Hertford's
Past in pictures: Ware: 1993-: 29, 75, 156).
Listing NGR: TL3260712741
