Description

KINGS LANGLEY SHENDISH
TL 00 SE off London Road

7/166 Shendish House (DRG
(Shendish)Leisure Centre)
and attached walled garden
and octagonal summerhouse

GV II

Country house on a manorial site with attached walled garden and
octagonal summerhouse, now a leisure centre. 1854-6 for Charles Longman
(1809-73) a partner of John Dickinson and an heir to the publishing
house of Longmans. Garden room wing dated 1871, new entrance porch 1902,
garden porch dated 1910. Grey brick with Bath stone dressings and
chimneys. Portland stone plinth, and steep graduated slate roofs. 2
storeys, attics and basement. A large L-shaped Jacobean style house
facing E with a rectangular walled garden attached to its NW corner with
an octagonal summerhouse at its SW angle. Near symmetrical 5-part E
front with corresponding stepping of roofline and separate stone gable
parapets and end chimneys to each part. Slightly projecting 3 windows
wide centre with large canted bay window to ground floor rising from
basement area with stone balustrade. Small semi-octagonal bay central on
1st floor flanked by square headed 2-light stone windows with labels.
Parapet carried up in. centre as gabled dormer with ogee coping to gables
and large central finial. Narrower bays to each side have similar
features above ground floor but 2 2-light windows on ground floor at LH
and original square projecting stone porch with '1855' on parapet.
Projecting gabled end wings have shaped gable parapets, central finial,
and square-headed 2-light windows to each floor. Arcaded stone porch and
adjoining lobby added to LB wing in 1902 in same style. Large entrance
hall with staircase to rear with tall mullioned and transomed stone
window and twisted turned balusters to each step. Arcaded screen and
elaborate Jacobethan fireplace in entrance hall. Similar screen in
garden room. Dado panelling and deep strapwork frieze in S rooms, and
ornate French rococo white marble chimneypiece in bar. Grey brick S
front to walled garden with 3 Tudor arched entrances and pilasters
alternating with piers. Iron gate 1898. Roofless octagonal summerhouse
with steps, damaged mosaic floor and carved stone decoration.
(John Evans The Endless Web (1955)90, 207-8).

Listing NGR: TL0579004315

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26468812

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

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)