Entrance Gateway And Walling To Former Christs Hospital Site

This is a late 17th and early 18th century entrance gateway and associated walling, originally part of the Christ's Hospital site in Hertford. It marks the axial entrance to the former hospital grounds, acquired in 1683.

The gateway features Portland stone piers, architraves and copings, contrasted with red brickwork in a Flemish bond pattern, with some overburnt headers. The piers have plinths with torus mouldings, their caps adorned with oversailing cornices. Each pier is surmounted by a fibre-glass replica of a cast-lead statue depicting a Bluecoat Boy in uniform; the originals were removed in 1986. Inner responds on the piers have small scroll volutes to which wrought-iron gates are attached, featuring an intermediate scrollwork band and raised centre detailing. The piers connect to the adjacent walls via large scrollwork volutes and brick responds with stone banding and plinth blocks. Footgates flank the gateway, incorporating recessed wrought-iron gates with scrollwork bands similar to the main gates, set within banded architraves featuring carved cartouche keyblocks displaying the City of London arms.

The walling is primarily of orange-red brick in Flemish bond, incorporating buttresses, a plat band, and tumbled brick coping. The west side of the wall, with a plain stone coping, ends where it meets The Lodge (No. 131, Fore Street). To the east, the wall continues for an additional bay with a recessed panel, followed by a lower section approximately 25 metres in length.

Historically, the courtyard beyond the gateway was originally flanked by dormitory terraces, terminating in a School Hall. These dormitories were demolished around 1900 and replaced by eight dormitory houses constructed between 1904 and 1906. After Christ’s Hospital left the site in 1984, the buildings were converted to office use and named ‘Bluecoat Court’ to commemorate the hospital’s 301-year occupancy. The statues were reportedly erected in 1689, although the piers may have been rebuilt in their current form during the early 18th century.