Description

TL 11 SE HARPENDEN CROSS LANE
(south east side)
HARPENDEN

6/42 Cross Farmhouse

26.7.51

GV II*

Farmhouse. Late C15 or early C16 hall house, built with 2-storey
cross wings each end. Whole house cased in chequered red brick
in the late C17, when a cross wing was added at the NE end.
Further cross wing, roughcast on front, added at SW and in early
C18. Plain tile roofs. 2 storeys and attics. Projecting
central porch of 2 storeys and attics. The porch, the 2 flanking
windows and the NE end have parapeted gables with moulded brick
coping and corbelled-out flat ends. Continuous plinth and floor
band. 2 tall C17 red brick chimney stacks on front slope of
roof, one to the right of the left cross wing and the other in
the centre between the porch and the right cross wing, an
inserted stack in the former 2-bay hall. An outstanding feature
of the house is the complete survival of the late C17 windows on
front and back elevations. These are oak mullioned casements of
1-3 lights. The larger ones have diamond iron mullion bars.
Almost all the iron casements are original and have scrolled iron
spring catches. On the front elevation these are 3-light
casements to ground and 1st floor; 2-light casements for the
stair window left of the porch and the NE attic gable. Small
gables have 1-light casements, 2-light window to attic of porch
retaining C17 diamond leading and glass; side elevations of
porch have 2-light casements. Front door retains original wood
frame. SW wing has original C18 casements to ground and 1st
floor with 4 and 3 lights respectively. On the rear elevation
the 1st floor windows are shorter. The right hand of the 2 3-
light ground floor windows has diamond leading and some original
glass. Internally, the house has the complete structure exposed
throughout. The hall (right of porch) has an inserted chamfered
floor beam. Cross wing behind porch has curved wind braces.
Late C17 stairwell to NE of this connects with wing, where the
ground floor room has ovolo moulded bearer and scratch moulded
panelling. The windows here and elsewhere inside have simple
fielded-panelled folding shutters which appear to be original
late C17. Many early doors remain. C18 wing has newel staircase
adjoining chimney stack on rear gable end. (RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL1510512911

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17555450

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

• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6