Description

HERTFORD

TL3212NE FORE STREET
817-1/17/67 (South side)
12/04/73 Nos.28 AND 30

GV II

Includes: No.3 CHURCH STREET.
Inn (site of former 'White Swan' Inn, with Nos 32 & 34 Fore
Street (qv)), now shop with flat over. Early C16, with C17
alterations, part rebuilding of right-hand (west) flank
elevation when Church Street widened c1800, and front refaced
with new ground floor shopfront early C20. Timber-framed,
front stuccoed and pebbledashed flank elevation to Church
Street and rear plastered. Old tiled roof.
PLAN: 3-bay main timber-framed structure, originally jettied
to the street, with dragon beam, and return jetty along Church
Street, cut back in road widening. 2-bay addition at rear
along Church Street (No.3 Church Street) originally extended
several bays further south (Nos 5 and 7 Church Street (qv)).
Together with Nos 32 and 34 Fore Street the building formed a
rear courtyard characteristic of medieval inns.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attics. Front elevation has central
late C19 window, flush-set, with projecting moulded mullions,
transoms and surround, subdivided into 3 lights above 2, with
iron casements, all plain glazed; bordered stucco panels left
and right, infill to gable above divided into ornamental mock
studwork and pebbledashed panels. Ground floor has early C20
shopfront, recessed under jetty, with beam ends exposed on
Fore Street frontage, below broad canted fascia with console
ends, which returns above the shopfront along the right (west)
flank elevation to Church Street. Shopfront has plate glass
windows with moulded timber-frame, green glazed brick
stallriser, and glazed door, set back diagonally on corner,
which has a slender cast-iron column supporting the upper
floors.
Church Street (west) flank elevation first floor has 2 large
9-light (3 x 3) mullion and transom windows, centre and left,
with projecting moulded timber-frames and plain-glazed iron
casements. At right is 5-light casement with canted end, C17
wood surround with later wood casements with divided glazing.
C19 2-light wood casements at right. Ground floor has 3 panel
door with plain-glazed fanlight centre, paired double C19
flush-set plain glazed sash windows with projecting surrounds
immediately to right, 4-panel door, and far right, triple
central unit canted around building line setback, and 2 double
C19 sashes.

Roof with gable to street having early C19 double bargeboards
with serrated edges, moulded section under verge, timber
finial at ridge with iron circle and spike. Box casement
dormer of 2 lights with divided glazing, moulded surrounds and
lead cheeks at right on Church Street flank elevation. Roof
hipped at rear over staircase projection which overlaps Nos 32
and 34. Square red brick chimneystack to centre of rear, C19
stack on upper ridge, and C18 red brick stack with oversailing
course above south party wall with No.5 Church Street.
Rear south-east corner of building has vestige of gallery, and
exposed framing c1500.
INTERIOR: ground floor shop opened out, staircase rear of
centre of dogleg plan, having newel with ball finial, close
string, column on attenuated urn balusters, and a moulded
handrail. This leads to first floor only, with a C19 rooflight
over, and an exposed beam with C19 arch bracing above landing.
First-floor rooms at front 3 bays have beams with quadrant
bead surrounds and fanlight above. 2 rear bays have C16
structure exposed, post with long jowl and arch brace, bay
window to Church Street with ovolo moulded mullions, exposed
studwork with downward curving brace to Church Street to left
of bay.
Roof over front 3 bays has thin ridge and reset rafters, and
continues partly over lower Church Street range; this latter
roof appears originally to have had purlins with windbracing;
there is an empty mortice visible over stair to attic.
(Forrester H: Timber-framed buildings in Hertford and Ware:
Hitchin: 1964-: 12; Smith JT: Hertfordshire Houses: Selective
Inventory: London: 1993-: 84; Smith JT: English Houses
1200-1800: The Hertfordshire Evidence: London: 1992-: 151,
FIGS 247, 248).

Listing NGR: TL3269112561

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26559204

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.

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  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
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