Hertford House

Hertford House is a town mansion built in 1776 for the Duke of Manchester, now housing the Wallace Collection. It was constructed during the development of Manchester Square and underwent significant alterations around 1872 to 1882 by Sir Richard Wallace, who added a rear extension for his collection. The building is set back behind a forecourt and features red brick with a rusticated stucco ground floor and stucco dressings, topped with a slate roof.

The structure has three storeys, a basement, and dormered attics within a hipped roof, measuring seven windows wide, with the outer bays being added later. The central entrance is sheltered by a large stone Doric columned porte-cochère leading to an entrance lobby. Above this, the first floor features an added stone tripartite bay window projection with a broad segmental pediment. The upper storeys of the flanking bays have recessed sash windows within stucco architraves, with tripartite windows in the outer bays, all articulated by giant, fluted, stucco Corinthian pilasters. A stucco dentil cornice runs below a balustraded parapet, and there are low iron balconies at the upper floor windows. The area has a balustraded parapet as well. The gallery additions at the rear are made of red brick with stone dressings, enclosing a courtyard and rising two storeys, featuring blind arcading on the lofty first floor.