Brocket Hall

Lemsford TL 21 SW HATFIELD MARFORD ROAD (north side)

5/172 Brocket Hall

6.2.52

GV I

Large rectangular mansion built by James Paine for Sir Mathew Lamb and his son Sir Penistone Lamb (later Lord Melbourne) c1760 to c1780. Piecemeal reconstruction of an older courtyard house, the staircase filling the courtyard space. Red brick exteriors with some stone dressings. Westmoreland slate roof. 3 storeys, attic and basement. Mostly original glazing bar sash windows. Gauged brick lintels. Continuous stone sill bands and moulded cornice.

9-window entrance front on SW has 3-window slightly projecting centre with raised pedimented attic. Stone Ionic doorcase with three-quarter engaged columns, entablature and pediment. Dressed stone surrounds to centre 1st floor window and to the central ground and first floor windows of the flanking walls. Stone armorial plaque in attic pediment. SW elevation has 1:3:1 window centre, the middle part projecting slightly and having tall, round-headed ground floor windows with three-quarter engaged Ionic columns. Attic to whole centre. At either end are 3- storey canted window bays. NE elevation is 3 storeys only. ABCBA composition. The outer bays have ground and 1st floor Venetian windows and 2nd floor therm windows. 3-storey canted windows to intermediate bays. Centre bay has ground and 1st floor relieving arches to single lights. NW service elevation has plain 3-window projecting centre.

Interior has top-lit staircase hall, the gallery with honeysuckle pattern railings and columns with spiral-fluted lower parts. Alcoves either end with circular and oval saucer domes. Large saloon with gilt coved ceiling. Paintings designed and begun by John Hamilton Mortimer and completed by Wheatley. Library has bookcases by Chippendale and Adam-style ceiling with inset panels by Cipriani. The second Viscount Melbourne lived with his wife Lady Caroline Ponsonby and died here in 1848. Viscount Palmerston died here in 1865 (C.L. 4 and 18.7.25; Pevsner (1977).

Listing NGR: TL2140813036