Former School Hall, Christs Hospital (Part Of Chauncy Court)

HERTFORD

TL3212NE BLUECOAT AVENUE 817-1/17/13 (North side) 10/02/50 Former School Hall, Christ's Hospital (part of Chauncy Court) (Formerly Listed as: FORE STREET School Hall, Christ's Hospital)

GV II

Former school hall, now converted to elderly persons flats. Late C17, refronted 1904-6 (architect Alexander Stenning), extended at rear to double size in 1950s, rear demolished, interior converted and linked to new north wing 1986-88. MATERIALS: orange-red brick, Flemish bond, Portland stone doorcase and first floor niche, old tiled roof with lead-roll ridges and hips, with wood modillioned eaves cornice and surround to front pediment, above which is a square battened lead-covered base to a square wooden cupola with arched openings and Ionic pilasters on each face, moulded cornice and arched lead roof with weathervane on ball finial. EXTERIOR: single storey front; 2-storey rear. South front in Queen Anne style, 5 bays, central 3 projecting slightly, 4 large 20-pane sash windows, recessed, 1:2:1 spacing with red rubbed flat arches and stone keyblocks, and aprons with scalloped profile beneath sills. Central doorway, with 6 panelled hardwood twin leaf doors, recessed in stone architrave surround with pulvinated frieze, and pediment with dentils carried on moulded consoles. Attic panel above, with central niche containing statue of Bluecoat Girl, flanked by Tuscan Doric colonnettes, with moulded archivolt and cornice, with alternated scrolls at sides. INTERIOR: completely remodelled and rebuilt 1986-88, although original 17th century brick structure still visible in cellar. This building formed the original schoolroom and terminated the axial approach from the gateway. It was subsequently greatly altered internally and externally particularly after the school left in 1984. The large modern extensions linked to the north side are not of special interest and are not included on this or any other list. (Turnor L: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1830-: 323-331; Victoria History of the Counties of England: Hertfordshire: London: 1902-1912: 491; Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England): An Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Hertfordshire: London: 1910-: 113-4; Hope Bagenal: The Georgian and Post Georgian Buildings of Hertford: 1929-:

10-11; Hertfordshire Countryside: Morrison J: Bluecoats in Hertfordshire: Letchworth: 1946-1954: 62-3; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire: Harmondsworth: 1977-: 188; Page FM: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1993-: 58,59,97,122,125-6; Felstead A: Directory of British Architects 1834-1900: London: 1993-: 872).

Listing NGR: TL3293212835