20, Morgans Road

HERTFORD

TL3211 MORGANS ROAD 817-1/21/123 (West side) 21/03/94 No.20

II

House. 1910, with later minor alterations. By Louis Moore, architect, for himself. Empty at the time of inspection. Built in the Arts and Crafts style in roughcast brick, rising from a brick plinth, with tall externally-expressed decorative brick stacks. Plain tiled roof, the rear slope much deeper than that to the front. EXTERIOR: east elevation of 2 storeys with attics, 4 bays, with off-centre doorway to left, below semicircular arch with wide tile-on-edge surround band above narrow red brick quoining. Stained plank door with glazed panel to centre. To left of doorway, wide external stack, stepped and with central panel of knapped flint, below upper-linked shafts of 3 flues, with deep corbelled capping. To right of doorway, wide gable to 3rd bay is roughcast save for a weatherboarded apex. 4-light timber mullioned windows with leaded lights to ground and first floors, both below plain drop drip moulds. Above, a 2-light attic window below the weatherboarding. 4th bay with a 4-light window below dripmould to ground floor. To north of doorway, narrow stair window at half landing level. 3 cellar windows in, or just above brick plinth level. West elevation with broad, off-centre gable to left with weatherboarded apex above 2-light attic window. First-floor windows wrap around each corner with 2 lights to each wall face. Central canted bay window of 2:3:2 lights with steeply-pitched tile roof. To right, former loggia, now enclosed with original double doors from former setback entry, and 4 unit screen of half-glazed panels. Above, a deep 4-light gabled dormer. Tall brick stack to left of gable. INTERIOR: original plan survives in almost undisturbed form, with principal rooms containing built-in furniture. Main reception room with gabled section with inglenook fireplace, plank panelling and separate seat recess. Secondary room at south end with small hearth, settle and cupboard. Kitchen and pantry with dresser cupboards. Turned baluster stair with broad moulded rail. Stair window and relocated double doors to garden entrance with decorative leading and coloured glass. First floor with hearths to main bedrooms, with shouldered bolection mould surrounds, one with Delft tile insert. 6-panel doors, moulded architraves, skirtings and picture rails throughout. An unaltered example of a late Arts and Crafts

style house, which makes reference to local vernacular traditions, and in which the greater part of the original interior design, fittings and fixture survive. The house is set within mature gardens of contemporary design. (Felstead A: Directory of British Architects 1834-1900: London: 1993-).

Listing NGR: TL3245711696