Cross Farmhouse

TL 11 SE HARPENDEN CROSS LANE (south east side) HARPENDEN

6/42 Cross Farmhouse

26.7.51

GV II*

Farmhouse. Late C15 or early C16 hall house, built with 2-storey cross wings each end. Whole house cased in chequered red brick in the late C17, when a cross wing was added at the NE end. Further cross wing, roughcast on front, added at SW and in early C18. Plain tile roofs. 2 storeys and attics. Projecting central porch of 2 storeys and attics. The porch, the 2 flanking windows and the NE end have parapeted gables with moulded brick coping and corbelled-out flat ends. Continuous plinth and floor band. 2 tall C17 red brick chimney stacks on front slope of roof, one to the right of the left cross wing and the other in the centre between the porch and the right cross wing, an inserted stack in the former 2-bay hall. An outstanding feature of the house is the complete survival of the late C17 windows on front and back elevations. These are oak mullioned casements of 1-3 lights. The larger ones have diamond iron mullion bars. Almost all the iron casements are original and have scrolled iron spring catches. On the front elevation these are 3-light casements to ground and 1st floor; 2-light casements for the stair window left of the porch and the NE attic gable. Small gables have 1-light casements, 2-light window to attic of porch retaining C17 diamond leading and glass; side elevations of porch have 2-light casements. Front door retains original wood frame. SW wing has original C18 casements to ground and 1st floor with 4 and 3 lights respectively. On the rear elevation the 1st floor windows are shorter. The right hand of the 2 3- light ground floor windows has diamond leading and some original glass. Internally, the house has the complete structure exposed throughout. The hall (right of porch) has an inserted chamfered floor beam. Cross wing behind porch has curved wind braces. Late C17 stairwell to NE of this connects with wing, where the ground floor room has ovolo moulded bearer and scratch moulded panelling. The windows here and elsewhere inside have simple fielded-panelled folding shutters which appear to be original late C17. Many early doors remain. C18 wing has newel staircase adjoining chimney stack on rear gable end. (RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL1510512911