County Hall Including Terraces And Fountain

County Hall is a County Council headquarters comprising offices, Council Chamber and committee rooms. Built 1935-39, it was designed by architects James and Bywaters in partnership with Rowland Pierce. The building is constructed of buff-brown brick laid in English Garden Wall, Flemish Garden Wall and one-third stretcher bonds, with Portland stone dressings including plinths, bands, cornices, pilasters and arches. The roofs are brown handmade tiles behind brick parapets with stone copings, except for the flat-roofed Council Chamber. A copper-covered cupola rises over the main entrance.

The architectural design was influenced by Swedish Romantic and Neo-classical architecture of the early 20th century, and by the work of Sir John Soane.

Plan and Arrangement

The building comprises three-storey office blocks above basements arranged around a central quadrangle. On the north side, the falling ground creates four storeys. The quadrangle is approached through a cloistered loggia beneath the centre of the south elevation. The main entrance lies to the left (west) of the south elevation, with a projecting single-storey Council Chamber beyond.

South Elevation

The principal feature of the south elevation is the entrance portico, which is stone-faced and of three bays. Tall fluted pilaster strip columns without capitals divide the bays, above which runs a frieze inscribed "Tertium iam annum regnante Georgio VI haec curia aedificata est" (In the third year of the reign of George VI this council hall was built). Above the frieze is a cornice with a brick parapet and responds carrying the pilaster line upwards, finished with stone caps and cornice. The parapet terminates with stone blocks set flush in brick with stone copings, and four plain urns standing on inverted Ionic capitals positioned above the pilasters.

The ground floor has central hardwood paired outer doors, each with four raised octagonal panels, set within raised flat stone architraves. The door surround has a recess and pilasters set back from the main fluted pilasters. The outer bays are similarly treated with multi-paned sash windows.

The entrance is reached by eight shallow stone steps, the upper three contained between Portland stone plinths. On these plinths stand bronze harts by sculptor Stephen Elson, installed in 1989 to commemorate the centenary of the County Council. Originally, sculptures by Alfred Hardiman were intended for this position, but the castings were destroyed by wartime bombing. Although a new plaster cast was made from clay models remaining in Hardiman's studio after his death, the cost of bronze casting was never authorised. Stone balustrades with fluted rectangular balusters run either side of the steps.

The first floor is treated as the piano nobile, with pilaster strips continuing upward as rectangular fluted antae. Wrought-iron balcony fronts project from the building face, which is set back. Tall multi-paned sashes have raised flat stone architraves with carved stone panels above featuring urn motifs. The soffit is stone with shallow coffering subdivided into square panels. The centre of the portico is marked on the roof by a copper-clad cupola. This has a rectangular base with projecting top and inverted scroll motifs, and a circular upper section with eight attenuated Tuscan Doric columns, plain entablature and cornice, topped by a weathervane bearing the initials "HCC" on a moulded finial.

To the right of the portico is a tall first-floor multi-pane sash window with stone surround and recessed panel above bearing the completion date "AD MCMXXXIX" (1939). A projecting wrought-iron balcony front sits below the window. Three small multi-pane sash windows occupy the ground floor beneath.

To the right again, the centre of the south elevation features an eleven-bay arched loggia-cloister forming a hypostyle undercroft below the committee-room suite on the first floor. Plain stone piers run uninterrupted into the moulded extrados of semicircular arches, which are capped by brick soldier arches. Within the loggia, the piers define square bays with quadripartite brick groined cross vaulting. On the first floor, seven widely spaced long multi-pane sash windows sit alternately above the piers and bay centres of the loggia below, with raised flat stone surrounds, projecting sills and heads. The brickwork is laid in English Garden Wall bond, with a flush soldier band about one metre below parapet level and a flush header band immediately below the projecting unmoulded stone coping. A tiled roof sits behind the parapet, with slab-like brick chimneystacks featuring raised panels and moulded stone copings positioned on the ridgeline corresponding to the outer reveals of the loggia.

The far right of the elevation has three storeys above a basement, corresponding in height to the two storeys of the remainder. Multi-pane windows—nine panes high on the ground floor, six panes on first and second floors—are recessed into the brickwork, with rubbed flat arches above ground and first-floor windows and a continuous soldier band running across the heads of second-floor windows. Basement windows are marked by Portland stone lintels raised on Portland stone impost bands.

Other Outer Elevations

The remaining outer elevations are generally plain brick with minimal stone dressings.

The east elevation has three storeys of multi-pane sash windows, with rubbed heads above stone impost bands on the ground floor, rubbed brick arches above the first floor, and a continuous soldier band above second-floor windows. There is a blank brick left-hand end, with entrances in the second bay from the left and third bay from the right.

The left-hand entrance has twin-leaf hardwood panelled outer doors with a blank panel above featuring three carved harts' heads, and glazed inner doors. A raised flat stone outer surround has a coved stone cornice above. The first-floor landing window has a flat stone surround with projecting pilasters containing recessed panels, plain frieze, projecting cornice, and stone urns flanking a blank recess in the brickwork with rubbed brick arch above corresponding to the heads of the first-floor windows.

The right-hand entrance has twin-leaf hardwood outer doors set in a raised stone surround with cornice at the level of the top of the impost band. The first-floor landing window above is dropped within a recess in the brickwork, with a blank panel above and rubbed flat arch corresponding to the first-floor head level.

Portland stone dwarf walls with iron grilles conceal the basement boiler room. The entrances are flanked by return walls with projecting copings and three shallow stone steps.

The north elevation faces a landscaped courtyard created during construction of major extensions in 1968-76, with links at left and right through the projecting ends. These extensions are not of special interest. The main north elevation is four storeys, with the basement running out to the reduced ground level. Multi-pane sash windows—four panes wide on the basement contrasting with three panes on upper floors—are recessed in the brickwork, with Portland stone impost band supporting Portland stone lintels over openings. Central glazed doors have a narrow stone surround. First (ground)-floor windows are set in arched recesses corresponding in width to ground-floor windows below, with semicircular soldier arches springing from the stone impost band. Second (first)-floor windows have rubbed brick flat arches above; third (second)-floor windows sit below a continuous soldier band. A brick parapet above partly conceals the tiled roof, which is hipped at the ends and forms a crown roof with a flat central portion.

The main west elevation has three storeys above a basement. The basement has multi-pane sash windows four panes wide with Portland stone impost band and lintels, located in areas behind Portland stone curbing with cast-iron railings featuring Neandrian archaic Greek Ionic scroll motifs on the balusters. Ground-floor multi-pane sashes three panes wide have stone sills and are set in recessed blank brick surrounds corresponding in width to basement windows, with stone impost band and rubbed brick flat arches above. First and second-floor multi-pane sash windows sit respectively below arches and a continuous soldier band.

An entrance three bays from the left has twin-leaf hardwood panelled outer doors and glazed inner doors set in a stone doorcase with unfluted Ionic columns without bases against Tuscan responds, with entablatures above the columns and a moulded canopy. Two plain urns sit above the canopy, and a carved stone panel with a hart couchant is positioned above the door surround. The brick parapet caps a tiled roof hipped at the north end, with the ridge broken by two brick slab chimneystacks. A stone-banded surround frames the first-floor landing window above. The entrance is reached by four shallow stone steps, with flanking stone dwarf walls. Portland stone curbs run along this elevation, blocked at the right-hand (south) end by the projecting Council Chamber.

Council Chamber Block

The Council Chamber projects from the square block faced by the entrance portico on its south side, above which rises the cupola already described. The Council Chamber is flat-roofed, with a recessed link, projecting bays and a sweeping semicircular south end. Its height corresponds to two and a half storeys of the main building. The brick walls are laid in English Garden Wall bond with intermediate stretcher courses to one-third bond. Portland stone is used for the plinth, doorcases, window dressings, band and coping.

A subsidiary entrance in the north wall leads from the west terrace. It has twin-leaf hardwood doors with four square glazed openings in each, a projecting flat stone surround, band cornice, and semicircular tympanum with the County Council crest carved and raised. Nine long windows around the perimeter all have leaded lights and metal frames set in stone surrounds. Those in the rectangular east-end bay have carved stone panels beneath; the remainder have recesses in the brickwork above and plain octagonal stone discs below.

In the centre of the west end, the public entrance has twin-leaf recessed hardwood doors with projecting stone architrave and surround, and cornice band forming the sill to the window above.

Central Quadrangle

The central quadrangle is approached through the vaulted undercroft to the south block described above. The west, north and east blocks are three storeys above basement with attics. They are brick, laid in English Garden Wall bond, with handmade tile roofs. Flat-roofed casement dormer windows with tile-hung cheeks are spaced to correspond with alternate window bays below.

Basement windows are four panes wide with Portland stone lintels raised on stone impost blocks. Ground, first and second-floor windows are three panes wide. Those on ground and first floors have rubbed arches above; second-floor windows have a continuous stone band below and continuous soldier band above.

An entrance in the centre of the south face of the north block is reached by five shallow stone steps, the upper three between low stone plinths with iron railings on Neandrian supports. Area railings have longer balusters with similar style caps. Twin-leaf hardwood doors have six fielded panels with bolection surrounds and raised octagonal discs. An ornamental fanlight above has carved scrollwork issuing from a Neandrian capital; at the top is a shield bearing the County Council arms in relief. The stone doorcase is flanked by slender attenuated applied Tuscan columns with semicircular projecting drums above, flanking a plain frieze above the door. A projecting band cornice and stone urns above the columns complete the composition.

The south block's north face has an arched undercroft on the ground floor with raised stone shields on rectangular tablets above adjacent pairs of arches. Tall first-floor sash windows in recessed stone surrounds occupy the third, sixth and ninth bays, with carved stone panels above and a continuous band cornice with urns flanking the reveals of window recesses below. A blank brick second floor set back above a flat roof over the first floor has a continuous soldier band and brick dentil eaves.

Interiors

The principal interiors are the Entrance Hall, Staircase Hall, Vestibule and Council Chamber on the ground floor, and the Ballroom, Chairman's Room and Committee Room suite on the first floor. All were designed and detailed by the architects, with purpose-designed fittings and furniture installed.

The Entrance Hall is subdivided into three by three rectangular bays by octagonal columns. The inner foyer opposite the windows is raised above two stone steps, with gilt bronze ornamental railings. Walls throughout are lined in cream marble, with floors of cream and light brown sandstone. The plaster ceiling is divided into panels by cased beams, with a shallow glazed bowl light fitting in the centre of each.

A central flight of six stone steps leads down through the Staircase Hall and beneath a second flight to the Vestibule and Council Chamber. The Vestibule takes the form of a transverse corridor with vaulted domed ends influenced by Soane. The centre has a barrel-vaulted ceiling divided by plaster bands into shallow rectangular panels, with glazed rooflights in the centre. Lighting comes from four elongated bronze reflector bowls on inverted Ionic volutes set on painted wood reeded columns with black granite plinths, also used for skirtings. Floors are cream travertine marble with grey bands and recesses for carpets.

The square end chambers are divided off by semicircular arches with reeded reveals and intrados, matched by shallow recesses on the other three walls. A shallow saucer-domed ceiling on plain pendentives has a circular rooflight with inverted saucers of obscured glass. Immediately below are light fittings of bowls suspended from eight bronze rods. At the north end are twin-leaf glazed doors leading from the subsidiary entrance from the terrace. In the west walls of each end chamber, twin-leaf doors covered in blue leather lead into the Council Chamber.

The Council Chamber has a polygonal west end with a rectangular east bay. The lower walls are panelled in polished hardwood with bolection mouldings, each bay separated by slim concave curved pilasters with Greek Key capitals. The frieze has Greek Key stylised ornament made up of an "H" flanked by normal and reversed "C"—the initials "HCC"—with a plain entablature above. The upper walls are formed from blocks of dense artificial stone with light-coloured flush joints. Windows in the centre of each side have tinted leaded glazing as background to armorial bearings of the Royal Family and Hertfordshire Lord Lieutenants. The ceiling has a cornice, bands and elliptical coving and is divided into panels, with rooflights above the Chairman's rostrum.

Fittings include a rostrum with raised semicircular baldacchino above featuring a compass point motif in marquetry and carved Hertfordshire County Council arms. Members' seats are arranged in curved rows with blue leather upholstery, polished hardwood frontals and desks. Beyond the aisle is perimeter seating for press and public. Lighting columns rise from curved responds on the rear bank of seating. Reeded columns support shallow bronze saucer reflectors with concave acid-etched glass bowls above.

The Staircase from the Entrance Hall is of open-well plan with two major flights, quarter landings, and a central minor flight with landing. Sandstone treads and risers match the Entrance Hall floor and continue as surround to the floor of the Ballroom on the first floor. Closed strings are of moulded cream marble. Gilt bronze handrails have upright and inverted Neandrian volutes on alternate balusters. The plaster ceiling has a reeded flat surround to a large central glazed rooflight filled with five by six inverted obscure glazed pyramids. Carved gilt wood bracket light fittings have inverted bell glass shades.

The Ballroom forms the principal foyer of the first floor, giving access to the Committee corridor and first floor of offices in the west wing. The room rises through two floors and sits behind the entrance portico, with three bays each containing one long sash window looking out onto a recessed balcony. It is divided from the staircase by cream marble-faced reeded antae and responds without bases or capitals, with a fascia at second-floor level bearing a moulded plaster fret motif that continues along the floor of the balcony on the inner north wall, which projects above flat brackets.

The balcony rail is gilt bronze with moulded rail and circular rod balusters, with Neandrian voluted balusters with reeded columns at intervals. Below the balcony is a recess defined by a screen formed by coupled elongated gilt bronze columns. In the wall behind, twin-leaf glazed hardwood doors, each with three square glazed panels in cream marble architraves, lead to the central corridor of the west wing. In the left-hand bay of the east wall, similar doors lead to the Committee corridor.

The Ballroom ceiling has a moulded plaster cornice and a surround with fret ornament, and a second cornice around the recessed centre. This has vigorously modelled gilded plaster scrollwork in two bands which at the ends coil around the ceiling roses of the chandeliers. The chandeliers are of gilded wood with central columns and eight scroll branches, all carved and with inverted bell glass shades. In the centre of the ceiling is a rooflight beneath the external cupola base. It has a raised rectangular plaster surround with reeded panels and a cabled roll, and a recessed inner surround with rosettes. The glazed rooflight is formed of light metal bars with tapered panels to give a trompe-l'œil effect of greater depth, with a centre of six inverted glazed pyramids. Loose furniture in the Ballroom included purpose-designed benches with scroll ends.

The octagonal Chairman's Room is accessed from the Committee corridor. It has a fire surround of polished fossil marble and green marble with an inset electric fire. Doors are white-painted flush and three-panel with reeding and marquetry inlay to give the illusion of raised fielded panels. A cornice with fret-ornamented frieze and shallow vaulted ceiling features a gilt wood chandelier. Original loose furniture—chairs and desk—remains in the room. An adjoining cloakroom has white Vitrolite panelling and original Ponifex Emmanuel fittings.

Three Committee Rooms—A, B and C—are each entered by double doors from the Committee corridor. They are arranged enfilade with sliding double-leaf panelled doors to enable use as one long space. Each Committee Room has a panelled hardwood dado and walls with alternately flush and recessed bays between elongated Ionic pilasters, with tall sash windows in alternate bays of outer walls. An entablature with modillion cornice and segmental-profile plaster ceiling with coved sides is divided into square panels by shallow projecting bands. Committee Room A has a recess at the west end with a polished cream and brown marble fireplace with bolection surround, and opening flanked by twin downward-tapering pilasters. Original furniture includes committee tables and chairs.

Subsidiary Features

In the centre of the courtyard is a fountain with a raised scalloped centre and twelve-sided outwards-curving basin with recessed plinth on a raised circular step. Raised stone curbs edge lawns on either side.

Historical Note

County Hall resulted from the decision of the County Council to seek a unified headquarters. The Clerk to the Council, Hertford solicitor Sir Charles Longmore, purchased Bailey Hall in 1930 to supplement the inadequate Shire Hall in Fore Street, and in 1934 Leahoe House with its extensive grounds was purchased. The following year an architectural competition under assessor Robert Atkinson was organised, producing 62 entries. The winners, James and Bywaters with Rowland Pierce, were also successful in the competitions for Norwich City Hall and Slough Town Hall. The Hertford competition was one of the most important of the 1930s, and the result, slightly modified from the competition plans, represented a skilful blend of progressive classicism with Swedish accent.

A separate block for the Motor Tax department and County Library was also designed by the same architects and built at the same time. Construction began in Spring 1937 by C Miskin & Son of St Albans with an approved tender of £288,593. Work accelerated in the summer of 1939 to ensure completion before the outbreak of the Second World War, and the building was opened without ceremony. By the early 1960s the accommodation was overcrowded, and major extensions were designed by County Architect Geoffrey Fardell and built 1969-75 in four phases, again with Miskins as contractors.