Description

TL 3629
7/40

BUNTINGFORD
HIGH STREET (west side)
The Almshouses (Seth Ward's Hospital) Nos 1 to 15 (odd)

19.10.51
GV II*

Almshouses. 1684 (possibly by Robert Hooke) for Seth Ward Bishop
of Exeter and Salisbury, mathematician and astronomer, friend of
Wren. Plum brick in Flemish-bond, Portland stone dressings, and
steep old red tile hipped roof. 2 storeys, U-shaped building
around a court open to the E. 7-windows wide symmetrical front
to W range and 5-windows wings to N and S. 2 windows to each
floor on ends of wings which also have an offset plinth in line
with the red brick courtyard retaining wall topped by a wrought
iron railing on timber posts, swept up to a central gate
approached by 2 steps. Portland stone is used for the rusticated
quoins, plain floor band, bold modillioned cornice with egg-and-
dart bedmould, moulded 2-light mullioned windows, eared door
surrounds (without frieze below the cyma cornice), and elaborate
carved centrepiece. At the rear the elements are represented
by a deep coved cornice, brick band, and segmental brick arches
to the heavy wooden casement 2-light windows. All chimneys rise
from the back wall. Slightly projecting pedimented central bay
in courtyard has a window over a wide stone doorway with
ornamental head crowned with a swan-neck pediment enclosing the
arms of Bishop Ward. On tablet over door '1684/THIS HOSPITAL WAS
ERECTED AND/ENDOWED BY SETH WARD D:D: LD. BP. OF/SALISBURY &
CHANCELLr. OF YE MOST NOBLE: ORDER OF YE GARTERWHO WAS BORN IN
YIS:/TOWN WITHINYE PARRISH OF ASPDEN & EDVCA-/TED IN YE FREE-
SKOOL OF BUNTINGFORD.' Fine scrolled stone trusses support the
entablatcre with swelled frieze and moulded surround to battened
door. Houses for 4 men and 4 women. Each on 2 floors with
living room and another room on Ground floor and bedroom and
smaller room on 1st floor. 2 houses in each wing with doors at
each corner, 4 in main block separated by central feature.
Leaded glazing in opening lights, and battened doors one step up
from courtyard. A classical almshouses of 1684 of outstanding
interest. (RCHM (1911)140: VCH (1914)79: Pevsner (1977) 117-
8).

Listing NGR: TL3627829328

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Buntingford almshouses at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q4997939

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6