Amores Including Outbuildings

Amores, on St Mary's Lane in Hertingfordbury, is a timber-framed house of considerable historical importance, formerly known as The Old Parsonage. The building comprises a late 15th-century south range and an early-to-mid 16th-century north range, with further alterations and extensions from the 18th and 19th centuries. The structure is timber-framed and plastered, colourwashed, with old brickwork and tiled roofs.

The north range, a three-bay floored structure possibly originally a cross wing to an earlier hall, faces the street on its west elevation. This elevation features a large chimneybreast at the left with a small early 17th-century timber-framed lean-to garderobe at first-floor level. A late 17th-century four-light mullion and transom window sits to the left of a central projecting chimneybreast and stack. To the right stands an 18th-century two-storey gabled projection with a two-light casement window on the first floor, and a 19th-century mullion and transom window on the ground floor. A distinctive 17th-century stair turret with splayed ends features an upper gable carried on curved brackets in two directions, with leaded landing windows. The plain gable of the south range appears at the right. Ground-floor additions include a single-storey pantile-roofed lean-to at the left and an old tiled lean-to at the right.

The south elevation shows a plastered first floor and colourwashed brick ground floor. At the left is a long three-light small-paned wood casement window with a shorter casement below. Right of centre stands a projecting 17th-century stair turret with splayed sides and an upper gable carried on curved brackets in two directions. A twelve-pane wood casement occupies the first floor at the left, with a six-pane light partway down at the right. A hip-roofed single-storey 19th-century outshut sits on the ground floor.

The east elevation features a two-storey late 19th-century bay window at the left on the gabled end of the south range. This bay displays four-light mullion and transom windows with sidelights, a moulded cornice head on the ground floor with black-stained weatherboard spandrel, and a bold cyma moulded cornice on the first floor with a lead flat roof above. A gabled 19th-century porch occupies the centre. To the right are two two-light leaded mullion and transom windows. The ground floor holds a late 18th-century bay window with canted sides and twelve-pane sash windows. The centre features 19th-century twin-leaf half-glazed doors with a four-light fanlight and tiled lean-to roof. A two-light leaded mullion and transom window appears at the right.

The roof displays two gabled casement dormers on the east slope of the north wing and gabled projections over the stair turrets on the west and south elevations. Chimneys include one with two diagonal red brick shafts above an external chimneybreast on the north side, a square red brick stack with crow-stepped brickwork above an external chimneybreast on the west side, and a square red brick chimneystack on the south. Single-storey tile-roofed outbuildings surround a kitchen yard at the south-west corners of the property.

Internally, the north range contains a vestibule with an early 18th-century straight flight stair featuring a panelled dado and a low moulded rail between newel posts. A half landing and short upper flight rise to a first-floor three-quarter landing in the 17th-century west stair turret. A 17th-century studded partition marks the line of the screens of the earlier hall, with entry to the wing through a reset 16th-century door featuring continuous linenfold-moulded battens and a moulded frame with Tudor arch, chamfer and roll moulded base to the jambs. A closet contains an 18th-century two-panel door.

The Drawing Room displays 18th-century panelling and a moulded dado rail. Its fireplace on the west wall features a flush hardwood surround with chamfers and elaborate roll and tongue stops, alongside a restored red brick fire surround with a 20th-century hood. Beyond lies the Dining Room with exposed studwork and an 18th-century cornice. This room contains a clunch fireplace with moulded jambs, Tudor arch and carved spandrels, with a restored red brick fire recess. The south-west room of the south wing serves as the Kitchen, accessed through a lean-to. A beam is propped with a cast-iron column, and a transverse beam displays mortices for studs of the original end wall. A cellar below features red brick English bond walls and a brick and tile floor. The Smoking Room to the west has an 18th-century panelled upper fireplace surround and double cyma cornice.

The Entrance Hall contains carved wood corbels, reputedly by Joseph Mayer of Oberammergau, who carved the bench ends in St Mary's Church. First-floor access comes from the south stair turret via a newel stair with window and ovolo mouldings. Two upper rooms occupy this level, one featuring an early 18th-century bolection moulded fireplace surround. The first floor of the north range is approached from the west stair turret, which contains a circular newel with winders and a leaded light with a blacksmith-made catch. A door to the landing, dating to around 1700, has two panels and HL-hinges. A bathroom, created around 1905 within the brick gable, occupies this level.

The north bedroom features a curved and moulded clunch fireplace with Tudor arch and carved spandrels bearing rosettes on the splay. A black letter inscription on the spandrels reads '1563/wyllam northe'. A three-light ovolo moulded mullioned window with intermediate diamond mullions ties back leaded lights. A panelled oak door to the left of the fireplace leads to the garderobe. Exposed studwork on the inner partition wall shows a large two-light blocked window with two intermediate plain mullions. This window originally looked down into the hall below before it was floored over and the staircase turret was built.

The attics were created in the 17th century and contain three cells. The exposed truss of the north wall displays a tie beam with downward curved bracing to a central stud below and braces above which may support collars (upper roof access is not available over this range). Tie beams are cut on intermediate bays. A doorway in the south-east corner has chamfered jambs with tongue stops and an elliptical arch, along with a plank door with ledges and strap hinges. Wide boarded floors extend throughout. Purlins have been cut to create access from the stair head, and a window at the top of the stair features moulded mullions. The roof over the south range displays an inserted chimneystack, heavy pegged rafters with purlins and windbracing.

Amores was held by copyhold of the Manor of Hertingfordbury, held by the Duchy of Lancaster. The name derives from a tenant called 'at More', later corrupted into John Amores in 1540. In 1560 the house was held by William North, who added the elaborate fireplaces and chimney to the north gable in 1563. The house underwent restoration in 1959.