Dickinson House

TL 00 SE ABBOTS LANGLEY THE RETREAT King's Langley

3/64 Nos. 1-7 (inclusive) Dickinson House

II

Seven almshouses. 1845 by W.H. Cooper for Booksellers' Provident Institution on land provided by J. Dickinson, owner of nearby Home Park paper mills (not listed). Red brick and plum brick on first floor with stone dressings, part stuccoed and whitewashed. Slate roofs. Tudor Revival Style. 1:3:1:3:1. 2 storeys. Central and end bays project, that to centre further and taller with a shallow gable to front. Steps up to entrance in porch with a four centred arch, chamfered with a hood mould, octagonal brick corner piers with moulded caps and bases, coped parapet stepped up to centre over a blank crest, moulded finials. Tall square headed lights in returns of porch. Flanking taller square headed sashes with four centred heads to each upper pane, hood moulds. First floor central triple sash, upper panes similar, chamfered stone mullions and surround, stone band at sill level, hood mould with ornamental carving. Above a carved ribbon inscribed 'BOOKSELLERS PROVIDENT RETREAT'. Coped parapet with apex finial. 2 stage diagonal buttresses, quoined with finials. Returns of centre bay are rendered. Each 3 bay flanking block has steps up to a smaller entrance porch, each leading to 2 doors with top lights, four centred arches, hood moulds, brick kneelers to stone coped parapets. Outer bays have paired 8 pane sashes in stone surrounds, blind to centre on first floor. Stock brick plinth. Stone string course at first floor sill level. Dentilled brick eaves. Outer bays have similar double sashes but with hood moulds. Diagonal buttresses with finials. Coped parapets. Cross axial stacks with stone quoins and cornices between each section. Stuccoed and whitewashed 3 bay returns with similar central entrance porches and blind openings, quatrefoil panels in stone coped gables, diagonal buttresses also at rear angles. To rear outer bays project. 2 storey gabled projection to rear centre. Rear elevation has 16 pane sashes with slightly cambered, chamfered, gauged brick heads. Interior not inspected.

Listing NGR: TL0813401667