Description

HERTFORD

TL3212NE BLUECOAT AVENUE
817-1/17/13 (North side)
10/02/50 Former School Hall, Christ's
Hospital (part of Chauncy Court)
(Formerly Listed as:
FORE STREET
School Hall, Christ's Hospital)

GV II

Former school hall, now converted to elderly persons flats.
Late C17, refronted 1904-6 (architect Alexander Stenning),
extended at rear to double size in 1950s, rear demolished,
interior converted and linked to new north wing 1986-88.
MATERIALS: orange-red brick, Flemish bond, Portland stone
doorcase and first floor niche, old tiled roof with lead-roll
ridges and hips, with wood modillioned eaves cornice and
surround to front pediment, above which is a square battened
lead-covered base to a square wooden cupola with arched
openings and Ionic pilasters on each face, moulded cornice and
arched lead roof with weathervane on ball finial.
EXTERIOR: single storey front; 2-storey rear. South front in
Queen Anne style, 5 bays, central 3 projecting slightly, 4
large 20-pane sash windows, recessed, 1:2:1 spacing with red
rubbed flat arches and stone keyblocks, and aprons with
scalloped profile beneath sills. Central doorway, with 6
panelled hardwood twin leaf doors, recessed in stone
architrave surround with pulvinated frieze, and pediment with
dentils carried on moulded consoles. Attic panel above, with
central niche containing statue of Bluecoat Girl, flanked by
Tuscan Doric colonnettes, with moulded archivolt and cornice,
with alternated scrolls at sides.
INTERIOR: completely remodelled and rebuilt 1986-88, although
original 17th century brick structure still visible in cellar.
This building formed the original schoolroom and terminated
the axial approach from the gateway. It was subsequently
greatly altered internally and externally particularly after
the school left in 1984. The large modern extensions linked to
the north side are not of special interest and are not
included on this or any other list.
(Turnor L: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1830-: 323-331;
Victoria History of the Counties of England: Hertfordshire:
London: 1902-1912: 491; Royal Commission on Historical
Monuments (England): An Inventory of the Historical Monuments
of Hertfordshire: London: 1910-: 113-4; Hope Bagenal: The
Georgian and Post Georgian Buildings of Hertford: 1929-:

10-11; Hertfordshire Countryside: Morrison J: Bluecoats in
Hertfordshire: Letchworth: 1946-1954: 62-3; The Buildings of
England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire: Harmondsworth: 1977-: 188;
Page FM: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1993-:
58,59,97,122,125-6; Felstead A: Directory of British
Architects 1834-1900: London: 1993-: 872).

Listing NGR: TL3293212835

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26682791

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)