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Summary

Brick gatehouse built in the 1460s, altered and extended in Gothick style in the late 18th century as a Picturesque residence in landscaped grounds

Monument Types

• GATEHOUSE (Medieval - 1460 AD to 1465 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 461231: GATEHOUSE TO HERTFORD CASTLE (HERTFORD CASTLE DEMOLISHED)
• Scheduled Ancient Monument 20629

Full description

The gatehouse to Hertford Castle [77], built by Edward IV between 1460 and 1465. It is three storeys high, of locally made brick with dressings of stone from Merstham (Surrey) for most purposes, but from Ashwell for chimney-pieces and from Kent for those parts where hardness was most needed. This is the only medieval building still standing within the castle walls. All the other buildings were demolished c.1608 <1>. The gatehouse is partly two-storey and partly three, with basement. Each of the two upper floors has one large and one small chamber, within the massive walls; the partition walls and roof beams survive. Recessed on the first floor above the infilled arch is a weathered carved stone panel with the Royal Arms of Edward IV; this was carved by the London mason Reginald Langley, and coloured by John Payntour of Ware.
In the late 18th century (1789-92) the gatehouse was altered and extended in Gothick style. The central gateway between the turrets was infilled; all the windows date from this period, Gothick in design and dressed in stone. Many were placed in the original embrasures, widened as necessary. A new spiral stair was inserted and the interior decorated in the same style. On the south side of the gatehouse is the residential wing, constructed in 1789-92 by the Marquess of Downshire, brother-in-law of the Marquess of Salisbury. This replaced a timber-framed, gabled, plastered building of c.1600. It is in red brick, English bond, three storeys but lower than the gatehouse itself, and in a simplified version of its general style. The north wing of the gatehouse was added in 1937 <2>.
The building was restored by Donald Insall & Partners in 1967-71, when much of the medieval structure was uncovered. The main chamber on the first floor is used as the Mayor's Robing Room, and was evidently originally of high status. The main chamber on the second floor is the Mayor's Parlour. The roofs date to the late 18th century. The basement is of flint rubble and possibly survives from an earlier structure. The basement below the 18th century domestic wing was the kitchen and servants' hall <2>.
From 1805-18, the castle was used by the East India College [15994], from 1822-32 the Dispensary which preceded the
General Infirmary (County Hospital) was held there, and it was also used as a judges' lodging. In 1911 Hertford Corporation approached Lord Salisbury to buy the castle, and a lease of 75 years at a peppercorn rent of 2s 6d per annum was granted. The grounds were laid out as public gardens, and the entrance gates leading from The Wash were donated by Osmond Henry McMullen in 1912. Hertford Castle was used as the Borough Council offices until 1974, and since that date has been used by East Herts District Council <2>. The grounds include the curtain walls, and the icehouse [1720], which is contemporary with the late 18th century alterations to the gatehouse. Some of the landscaping presumably also dates to this period.
See <4, 6, 7, 8, 9> for the 1970-1 restoration, with drawings of new details uncovered. <5> refers to a drawing of the gatehouse before its remodelling; it had 'survived largely intact but for the blocking of the archway and the provision of a handsome frontispiece of late 17th or early 18th century design, presumably by one of the Cowpers' <5>.

<1> Smith, J T, 1993, Hertfordshire houses: selective inventory, - p82 (Bibliographic reference). SHT16660.

<2> Listed Buildings description (Digital archive). SHT6690.

<3> HCC Planning Dept, 1979-82, Historic parklands and gardens in Hertfordshire; record sheets & supplementary material (Unpublished document). SHT8294.

<4> Moodey, Gordon, 1973, The restoration of Hertford Castle gatehouse; Herts Archaeology 3, 100-109 (Article in serial). SHT3079.

<5> Brushe, John, 1977, The Charnock drawings; Herts Archaeology 5, 194-6, Pl XIV (Article in serial). SHT9709.

<6> Moodey, G E, 1967, Hertford: the Castle gatehouse; East Herts Archaeol Soc Newsletter 22, unpaginated (Article in serial). SHT7674.

<7> Moodey, G E, 1968, Hertford: the Castle; East Herts Archaeol Soc Newsletter 24, unpaginated (Article in serial). SHT7675.

<8> Moodey, G E, 1971, Hertford: the Castle; East Herts Archaeol Soc Newsletter 29, unpaginated (Article in serial). SHT7676.

<9> Moodey, G E, 1971, Hertford: The Castle; ceilings of 1464; East Herts Archaeol Soc Newsletter 30, unpaginated (Article in serial). SHT7659.

Sources and further reading

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