Former Dining Hall, Christs Hospital (Part Of Chauncy Court) is a Grade II listed building in the East Hertfordshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 10 February 1950. School dining hall, elderly persons flats. 2 related planning applications.
Former Dining Hall, Christs Hospital (Part Of Chauncy Court)
- WRENN ID
- lesser-quoin-owl
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- East Hertfordshire
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 10 February 1950
- Type
- School dining hall, elderly persons flats
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
This building served as the school dining hall for Christ's Hospital, first for the Boys' School and later the Girls' School until 1984. It has since been converted into elderly persons flats known as Chauncy Court.
The main structure dates from around 1800, but was substantially refaced and extended between 1904 and 1906, when a ground floor loggia was added. Architect Alexander Stenning oversaw further internal subdivision and conversion to flats in 1988–89.
The three-storey building displays mixed brick construction: the south elevation is faced in orange-red brick with Flemish bond and Portland stone dressings, while the west and north elevations use yellow stock brick, also with stone dressings. The roof is Welsh slate, arranged in a hipped and gabled configuration. The south elevation features a modillioned stone cornice and a pediment end to the projecting wing, whilst the west and north elevations display brick dentil cornices and pediments.
The south front comprises six bays. The left-hand three bays are partly concealed by a large first-floor projection and the south wing. Windows sit recessed within stone architrave frames with eared imposts and archivolts broken by moulded scroll keystones. The current multi-paned windows with glazing bars following the arch profile are modern replacements; blank lead-faced panels were inserted to match a newly added second floor. Stone sills are paired with brick aprons featuring upright and inverted shouldered elliptical arches at their lower profile. Ground-floor windows are also recessed, with archivolts springing from an impost band.
A square loggia forms the centrepiece, measuring two bays by two bays, with stone Tuscan Doric columns raised on square bases and responds. Its entablature and cornice feature lead flashing, with red brick above. The loggia contains twenty-four-pane sash windows recessed beneath rubbed arches with stone keyblocks and a moulded stone cornice to the parapet, which conceals a flat roof.
To the left stands a two-storey south-projecting wing with two windows on each floor. These are recessed paired twelve-pane sashes set beneath rubbed arches with stone keyblocks, topped by a gabled pediment with moulded stone surround. A central red brick chimney with stone cornice rises through this wing.
The west elevation is two and three storeys, finished in yellow brick with stone imposts and a plat band (to the south projecting wing) and brick plat bands elsewhere. The former dining hall displays a modillioned pedimented end, whilst the three-bay west projection below has a lower banded pediment. Sash windows of various sizes punctuate this elevation, and two semicircular arched windows appear on the ground floor of the south projecting wing.
The rear north elevation contains the yellow brick facade of the former dining hall on its left, now appearing as two storeys (originally three), with six arched windows on the first floor. Lead-faced blank panels now conceal an inserted second floor. A brick plat band runs at first-floor level. The ground floor has two sash windows with semicircular arched heads springing from a stone impost band, plus three mullioned multi-paned windows in similar openings. To the right is a three-bay, three-storey west wing with three sash windows on each floor and brick plat bands and brick banded cornice. At left is a rear entrance added in the 1950s, constructed in light red brick with sash windows. This entrance has a semicircular plan that partly conceals the first left-hand bay of the former hall.
The interior was extensively altered during the 1980s conversion to flats, and woodwork formerly noted as present on the list was presumably removed at this time. The ground floor loggia previously housed a monument of 1716 featuring a stone pedestal and bust of Thomas Lockington, brought from the Church of St Mary Magdalen, Fish Street, London. A northern staircase was added in the 1950s, constructed of cast concrete with terrazzo facing in open string construction. Its wrought-iron handrails alternate elongated double scrolls with stick balusters. The floor bears the Bluecoat Crest in terrazzo.
Detailed Attributes
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