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Summary

Early 18th century country house with remnants of an earlier house

Monument Types

• COUNTRY HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 157873: THE GOLDEN PARSONAGE AND GARDEN WALLS ATTACHED ON NORTH-EAST

Full description

Golden Parsonage was the rectory manor and belonged to the priory of Dartford until the Dissolution. In 1544 it was granted by the Crown to William Halsey, with whose descendants it remained until 1804; it then passed by marriage to Joseph Thompson Whately, who adopted the name of Halsey and whose descendants still own it. Thomas Halsey, who inherited in 1670, built the present house, which is dated to 1705 by the weathercock. The old house or part of it remained until c.1774, when it was pulled down (see [9573] for surviving walls). During the 18th century the service range to the NW was built, no doubt to provide a new kitchen. The house was substantially altered in the 19th century; photographs taken in 1935 show that the whole house was predominantly of that period. The block to the NW was built in 1874, was a billiards room in the 1930s and may have been so earlier <1>.
The house is of very high quality red brickwork, in header bond with moulded dressings; a large two-storey square block, with giant order Roman Doric pilasters in grey brick clasping each corner, and low roofs concealed by parapets. The extensive interior alterations by Waring and Gillows c.1935 are in early 18th century style, incorporating some altered panelling and panelled doors of c.1600 with cockspur hinges, and a fireplace inset with green Wedgwood plaques, moved from a demolished Wyatt pavilion at Gaddesden Place [15156]. The roof structure is of great interest for its wide-span 18th century timber engineering using 12" square oak or chestnut timbers, king-posts, queen-posts, cross-bracing, and a painted inscription presumably by the carpenter, 'Jo Grove Sept 19: 1766', on one truss. There is also an inscription beside the entrance porch outside, 'SL 1766' <2>.
For the grounds, see [9573]; for the farm buildings, see [11219].

Page, W (ed.), 1908, VCH Hertfordshire vol.2, - p204-5 (Bibliographic reference). SHT9314.

Pevsner, N, & Cherry, B, 1977, Buildings of England: Hertfordshire (2nd edition), - p151-2 (Bibliographic reference). SHT7257.

<1> Smith, J T, 1993, Hertfordshire houses: selective inventory, - p61-3 (Bibliographic reference). SHT16660.

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

<3> Hertfordshire Gardens Trust, 2010, Register of historic parks and gardens of local importance in Dacorum, RNO 2521 (Unpublished document). SHT5883.

Sources and further reading

Related records

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