Description

HERTFORD

TL3212SW WEST STREET
817-1/19/242 (North side)
10/02/50 No.10
Norton House

GV II

House, now with flats in rear wing. Early/mid C18 with C19
rear wing. Pale red brick, Flemish bond, with cherry red
dressings; red brick rear wing. Old tiled roof, parapeted at
right (east). Hipped Welsh slated roof over rear wing.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attics, 5 bay central staircase
single-depth plan to front range; basement to rear range.
First floor has 5 recessed 12-pane sash windows with painted
reveals under red rubbed brick flat arches immediately below
wood cornice. First-floor level plat band with cavetto
mouldings. Ground floor has 4 nearly flush-set 12-pane sash
windows with exposed boxes, under red rubbed brick flat arches
immediately below plat band. Central doorway, with 6 raised
and fielded panel door below fanlight with Gothick tracery,
with panelled reveals, moulded architrave surround, and carved
moulded brackets supporting moulded cornice hood.
Roof with 3 box dormers with small-paned casements, above
elaborate modillioned and moulded wood cornice on front
elevation. Red brick chimneystack with external breast, band
and 3 orange pots at right (east), rear slope has gabled
casement dormer.
Right flank (east) elevation has flush set 12-pane sash
windows at left to ground and first floors, under rubbed brick
flat arches. Long 4 bay rear wing, mid C19, altered and
extended and converted to 2 flats mid C20 with sash windows
first and ground floors, triple sash at right.
Rear (north) elevation has 1 window, C19 sashes with divided
glazing first and ground floors, and C20 small paned French
windows to semi-basement.
INTERIOR: ground floor modified to create new kitchen and
cloakroom at east, arch originally opening into rear staircase
hall now blanked off in cloakroom. East room (reduced by 1 bay
to create kitchen) has bolection moulded panelling above and
below dado, double cyma wood cornice, and 6-panel door in
broad architrave frame. Hall has early/mid C19 plaster frieze
with Greek key and scotia mouldings. Sitting room has plaster
cornice with cyma moulding, modillions and egg-and-dart
ornament, C19 white marble fire surround with cast-iron grate
with firebasket.
Dogleg plan stair above first floor in rear gabled projection,

lower part blocked off in conversion, close string,
barleysugar twist on urn balusters, handrail and newel caps
splayed and moulded on one side, dado with moulded rail and
simple recessed panelling. Front first floor corner room,
reduced in area, has panelled walls, part reset as partition,
double cyma wood cornice, fire surround with bolection and
roll moulding and C19 cast-iron grate. Main front bedroom has
a cornice with egg-and-dart ornament and cyma moulding,
bolection moulded fire surround with Dutch tiles and C19 grate
and firebasket.
3 attics, 2-panel doors, west attic has mid C18 bolection
moulded fireplace surround, east attic has late C19 fireplace
with 'aesthetic' Japanese ornament. Roof has reused medieval
timber with a rafter with imprints of mullion mortices.
Cellars have brick walls and floors, rear door 2-panelled with
HL-hinges, outer surround with triple keyblock. Rear hall now
gives access to flats and has dogleg stair, lower flight of
that described above first floor in main house.
Interior of flats not inspected.

Listing NGR: TL3237012342

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26559002

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

• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback